


Another Day in Pegasus...

by MillieMae



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Light-Hearted, M/M, One Shot, Prologue, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-07
Updated: 2017-08-15
Packaged: 2018-02-28 12:14:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 42,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2732108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MillieMae/pseuds/MillieMae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>...or The Secret Life of Rodney McKay...or How John Sheppard Was Slowly Driven Mad By A Hot Blonde...or Four Slayers, Two Aliens, One Genius, One Colonel, One Major and a Baby</p><p>After three years fighting space vampires they thought they knew everything about each other then this happens....</p><p>Short one-shot which is also a prologue to one of my fics as yet unpublished, and unnamed hence the random titling. It will be posted soonish ;-)</p><p>Edit: Tentatively posting chapters for this fic!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

John tapped the forcefield and sighed as it rippled under his touch. It had steadfastly refused to give way under the combined force of him and Ronan, and the Satedan’s gun blasts. The latter merely resulting in a rather painful dive to the floor as he’d tried to avoid the ricocheting beam. At least McKay was still the right side of the almost invisible cage and currently attempting to disable it, and there didn’t appear to be anybody around who was thinking about making them dead.

“Um, Rodney?”

A hand was waved in his direction. “Yes, yes Colonel. I’m trying but you do notice there isn’t actually any kind of handy locking mechanism or console for me to plug into”

“Yes, thank you. I had noticed” His death glare was completely wasted on the muttering scientist whose head was bent to his tablet. Ronan grinned at him so John rolled his eyes back. Teyla was sitting cross-legged quietly watching the surrounding trees. He tensed as she frowned and rolled to her feet. “Tey?”

Her head tilted. “I believe something is coming. Ronan?” She raised a questioning brow.

“Perhaps” The man placed a hand to the ground before lowering his head then nodding. “Its big”

“Shit. McKay..”

“I already told you Colonel, I’m working on it. And no I don’t have a specific time frame for you however much you yell” He looked up and scowled at John.

“Well, thats very helpful Rodney” John tried to keep his tone even. “But perhaps you just missed the most recent part of our conversation where we decided that something is coming?”

“What?”

“It’s big” Ronan helpfully volunteered.

“What?!”

“You know so feel free to get us out, anytime soon”

“Oh God” Rodney shot a look behind him but there was nothing to see. “Why does this keep happening to me?”

“Maybe next time you should consider getting trapped along with us”

“That is not helpful Sheppard!”

“Well excuse me…” A movement caught his eye. Appearing from the tree line was what he could only describe as a large bear cross man, who was swinging an axe that was definitely in proportion to the rest of him. “Um, Rodney..”

“I’m working on it!”

“Stop working on it”

“What?!”

“Shoot the giant bear thing instead”

“What?!” McKay spun on his heels and gasped. “Oh crap”

“Shoot it Rodney”

“I..I don’t have my gun” The scientist paled. “Oh crap”

“What?! Where the hell is your gun?”

Teyla cleared her throat and held up the issued sidearm. “I’m afraid Rodney asked me to hold this whilst he was examining the artefact”

“McKay!” John began kicking at the forcefield again.

“What?! It was getting in the way”

“Run”

“What?” Rodney stared at Ronan.

“Run”

“Right” He eyed the creature again who seemed to have stopped and was listening with interest to their conversation. He guessed most people would have already starting the running process, and the screaming. “Shit” As he edged his way round to the corner of the forcefield the creature growled, long and low. “Oh shit”

“Run!”

A strange expression crossed the giant man/bears face and he made a weird little noise, then his head slid from his neck. John paused mid-kick, watching as it’s body dropped revealing a petite blonde with tumbling pigtails and dressed in a lot of leather…holding a big fuck-off sword. He kept his voice low. “Perhaps you should still consider the running thing”

“Is it just me or is she scarier than the bear thing?” Murmured Rodney from the side of his mouth.

“She just decpaitated the bear thing McKay, I think we can agree she is a little scary”

“I think she’ll catch me pretty easily”

“For fucks sake stop talking about it and do it” He tried to keep a relaxed expression on his face as the young woman delicately stepped over the headless body and swayed towards them. A little part of him mourned the fact that the hot ones were always the homicidal maniacs. “Rodney..”

She stopped a few feet from them and smiled. John had learnt that this was not always a good sign. “Dr McKay?” Ah, crap. 

Rodney shook his head. “No, sorry. Never heard of him” He cleared his throat. “Maybe you should try the next planet over?”

John snuck a look at Ronan who managed to convey just how much of an idiot McKay was without moving a facial muscle. The woman raised a brow and stuck her sword in the ground before reaching down her leather clad cleavage and pulling out a piece of paper. Unfolding it she looked down then back up at the scientist. She tutted quietly. “No lying, its bad manners”

“Um..” 

“Perhaps you should go back to the running plan?” 

“Or maybe you could use your diplomatic skill Colonel” 

John resisted the urge to flip him off, this was what Rodney had started to call his little run ins with Princess’s, and Priestess’s, and anything else that was pretty and started with a P. She cleared her throat. “I really wouldn’t recommend running, I’m very fast, and strong. I also don’t like it when people make me chase them. It does nothing for my hair” Her eyes rested on John. “Although feel free to show me your diplomatic skill” She winked at him and that was some charisma she had going on because he swore he was actually flushing a little.

“Um..”

Teyla moved forward. “My name is Teyla, I am from Athos, perhaps you have heard of my people? Why are you looking for Rodney?”

Her gaze left John and he took the opportunity to swallow, and remember to breathe. She frowned at Teyla. “I thought it was Meredith?”

“What?!”

John snorted in spite of himself. This was getting ridiculous and a little surreal. The blonde waved a hand and placed the paper back into her top. John absolutely did not look. “Not that it matters, you are the correct Dr McKay, you will come with me”

“What?!”

“Hey, now look. What could you possibly want with McKay?”

“Colonel!”

“Trying to help Rodney”

“Well you suck at it” 

Ronan growled quietly and swung a punch at the forcefield. It rippled a little more violently but stayed in tact. 

She sighed. “I have been sent to locate and retrieve Dr McKay” She stepped closer and wrapped a hand around his wrist. John swore and began to kick at the forcefield again whilst his friend tried to pull free of her grip. “Your wife has been looking for you Meredith”

He paused mid-kick again. Rodney was gaping at her. “My wife?! Oh shi…!” John stared at the empty space that had contained two people only a second before. 

“Well, shit”


	2. Chapter Two

“..t!” Rodney staggered forward slightly before a strong hand grabbed his shoulder and righted him. He blinked, pulling in oxygen. “What the..who are you?”

They were stood in what looked like a large reception hall, it’s ceiling at least three floors high, ornate art deco touches wherever you looked. The blonde moved round into his eye line. “My name is Cici, I work with your wife”

He looked around him, they appeared to be the only people here. “And she would be…?”

“Upstairs, resting” Cici eyed him. “You are her last hope, please do not disappoint her, or me”

He frowned at her. “Look, I’m getting a little tired of this…”

“She is in trouble”

Rodney licked his lips. “What kind of trouble?”

“The kind even we may not be able to help her with” She gestured up the stairs. “Please..room fourteen”

He followed her gesture up the sweep of the staircase, it was as deserted and quiet as the ground floor. Rodney started to get that strange feeling in his stomach that he usually got when he realised he’d wandered into a not-so friendly alien settlement, or woke on a Hive. “How do I know this isn’t a trap?”

“I would have killed you by now if that is what I desired”

“That does not make me feel better”

“It was not meant to”

“You’re like her?”

“Yes”

“Right, shit” He sighed. “Right, well I’ll just…”

“If you could, before we all die of old age” She sank gracefully down onto the circular couch. “I shall wait”

“Right, great” He gave her one last pointed look that she smiled serenely back at then reluctantly made his way to the stairs. The carpet thankfully muffled his footfalls but if the only occupants of this place had the same skill set as his dearly beloved they’d hear him anyway. He shook the feeling he was being watched by more than just the seemingly relaxed figure in her seat below. Reaching the first landing he ran his fingers over the small brass plaque that told him room fourteen was situated on this floor before continuing on down the corridor. It was even quieter here, and the enclosed space was making the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Taking note of the numbers on the doors he stopped in front of the elegantly inscribed fourteen and closed his eyes briefly before raising his fist and knocking. The door swung open silently. “Right, of course” He muttered quietly before stepping through, jumping slightly as it swung shut behind him.  
 

Major Lorne stood the other side of the forcefield that was holding his CO. “The jumpers have picked up nothing Sir, Dr McKay is no longer on this planet. I’m sorry”

The Colonel sighed. “Don’t be Lorne, it was a long-shot anyway” He frowned. “You know if I didn’t know for a fact we were the only ones out here I would say she was from Earth”

He raised a brow. “Really? Uh, Sir”

Sheppard rolled his eyes. “Yes. The way she spoke was definitely Earth-like”

“Her appearance?”

“Yeah, that was great too” Evan raised a brow. John matched his gesture. “I didn’t exactly have chance to check her labels Ev”

He grinned.

“Don’t even say it Major. And I don’t know because I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone on Earth wearing that much leather before, except for possibly Vala. And she doesn’t count”

“Huh” Evan studied the ground for a minute. “Blonde you say?”

“Yes, sound familiar does it?”

“In pigtails?”

“Yes”

He looked up. “And leather”

“Evan..”

“With a big sword”

“Shut up Lorne”

“Are you sure you weren’t just dreaming Sir?”

“I hate you Major” John scowled at him. “And no, she was real” He turned to Teyla. “She was real right?”

Teyla nodded. “Yes John, I saw her also and I can assure you I do not dream of young blonde women in leather” He gaped at her a little as she winked at him. “And I also agree that she was from Earth, or at least a very similar culture. And I believe that we would have been aware of any marriage that had taken place involving Rodney in Pegasus”

Evan tried not to smile. “Although I do seem to remember an incident that included an innocently shared cup of wine”

“Hey” His CO scowled at him. “How was I to know that meant we were married?”

“Exactly Sir”

“Stop being annoying Major”

“Sorry Sir” He chewed his lip briefly. “If she was from Earth maybe that’s where Rodney is?”

“But how? I mean there was no transporter light, no radio request, nothing. One minute he was here, the next gone” Sheppard ran a hand through his hair. “But anything is worth a shot. Get Woolsey to contact the mountain, if one of our ships is in orbit it could track his signal”

Evan nodded. “Yes Sir. Anything else?”

“Make the techs go faster”

A couple of them glared at the Colonel before returning to their work. He sighed. “Sir..”

“Yeah I know” Sheppard smiled sheepishly. “Sorry Radek”

“Not a problem Colonel” Rodney’s second waved a hand. “I understand your frustration. It will be another half an hour, at the most”

“If it would have taken Rodney this long to disable the forcefield maybe we should be grateful for the young woman’s arrival”

“Uh, we should?”

“Yes Major, he would not have been able to outrun the man with the axe”

Evan refused to let his gaze sweep over the body again. There was the proof that at least someone else had been here, and someone with a sword. Decapitation was messy, no matter how clean the cut, and that had been a clean cut. Her’s must have been sharpened to a silk scarf cutting point. “I guess”

Teyla nodded. “Whoever she is she saved his life, wether she meant to or not”

“Lets go with meant to huh Tey”

She dipped her head. “As you wish John”

Evan grinned. “I’ll head back to the gate Sir, pass on the message to Mr Woolsey”

“Thanks Lorne. Oh and get them to run a check on any marriage records with Rodney’s name on”

“My days just keep getting weirder”


	3. Chapter Three

Six weeks ago…

Edward Jenkins knelt on the hard wooden floor, head bowed to his task, fingers shaking as he tried to reload the small firearm. He cursed as the bullets fell to the floor then froze, blood rushing through his ears as he tried his damnedest not to even breath. Time seemed to slow as he strained to hear the activities on the floor below over the beating of his heart, the crashing sound of something ceramic hitting the ground reached him before the terrifying blood-curdling scream sent ice through his veins. At least she still seemed to be busy with his colleagues, there was no way even her sharp ears could have detected the tumbling of his ammunition and unwise outburst. Taking a quiet, calming breath he reached out, finger tips brushing over the cool metal. 

The fact he was armed was unknown to the other people who he had come here with tonight, it was not usual protocol and they had not expected to have been discovered but there was something about working with these young women that made having the weapon on him comforting. And right now he was oh so thankful, it was the only thing that could possibly get him out of this nightmare alive. Edward had not wanted to be a part of this operation, during the briefing the rolling of his stomach at the thought of what they were doing had only intensified with each word their leader had spoken and he had refused to be a part of it once at the location, volunteering to take watch at the door. That decision was the only reason he was still alive enough to appreciate the adrenaline pumping through his body.

There was another scream and he refused to acknowledge the slight wobble of his chin, the threatening rising moistness in his eyes. They weren’t loved ones, not even really friends, shit he only knew half their names…they weren’t important, it didn’t matter. All he had to concern himself with was getting out, and then running as fast and as far away from these people as possible. For the briefest second Edward Jenkins mourned the loss of those whom he’d sat in the blacked out van with for six hours, mourned the loss of a dream, of champions and magic and saving the world…after tonight nothing would ever be the same. He crossed himself and silently begged for forgiveness before sliding home the magazine and clicking the safety off. He rose slowly, careful not to even take a breath. Lost in his thoughts he now had no idea just how long it had been since it had fallen quiet downstairs.

 

Present Day

He stood and gaped at her.

“Mer?”

He snapped his mouth shut. Swallowed. Opened his mouth again. “Holy shit”

She laughed quietly, a tired, slightly sad sound that made his skin goose bump. “That’s what I said”

“Holy shit”

“Mer..you’re gonna need to engage your brain baby”

Rodney closed his eyes. “I can’t”

“Deep breaths, take a moment”

He nodded, staring at the blackness behind his lids, feeding his brain some much needed oxygen. When he stopped feeling like he was going to throw up all over his boots he slowly opened them again.

“You with me?”

Rodney nodded again.

His wife reached a hand out. “Come sit, please Mer. We need to talk”

Nodding dumbly once more he padded slowly over to the bed, unsure as to where he should be heading for.

His wife rolled her eyes. “You can sit on here, I won’t bite”

Narrowing his gaze at her he propped himself precariously on the edge of the bed. He laced his fingers with her outstretched ones and rubbed a thumb over the back of her hand. “I’m sorry, it’s just a bit…”

“..surprising? A bit of a shock? Think how I felt”

Rodney frowned at her. “Why are you here? Are you sick? Did you get hurt?”

“The last one” She smiled sadly at him and he stared into deep chocolate brown pools that reflected what he imagined to only be the surface of her pain and fear.

He swallowed, that was not something he was used to seeing in her eyes. His own flickered down briefly. “The..uh..”

“She’s fine” Another, more genuine, smile.

He nodded. “Ok, ok..good” He smiled suddenly. “She?”

“Yeah” Her other hand rested on her swollen stomach.

“Mine?”

“Mer..” She rolled her eyes.

“Ok, ok. Uh, sorry” He shifted a bit further onto the mattress. “Why does your terrifying friend downstairs think you’re in trouble? And is it why you got hurt?”

She nodded. “Yes, I need to tell you Mer…”

“Rodney”

She bit her lip briefly. “Rodney. And I think I need your help”

“YOU need MY help?”  
 

John slumped in the chair opposite Richard and ran a hand through his hair. “Anything?”

The expeditions leader smiled at him. “You look exhausted Colonel..”

“I just spent six hours doing absolutely nothing but sitting on my arse waiting to be rescued Mr Woolsey”

“It’s still been a long day”

“Will you please just..” He waved a hand.

He sighed quietly. “As you wish”

“You sound like Teyla”

“Thank you” Both of them smiled at him.

He rolled his eyes. Richard cleared his throat. “The Daedalus was unable to pick up Rodney’s signal however we have discovered he is in fact married”

“He is?” John frowned.

“Yes” He looked down at his screen. “To a Miss Faith Lehane, or now Mrs Faith McKay”

“But..I’ve never heard the name Faith, certainly no mention of a wife”

“It took place a little over six months ago..in um, Vegas”

“Thats…disturbing”

“Why?” Richard raised a brow.

He glared at him. “Well, because, I mean its Rodney. He doesn’t get married in Vegas, especially to someone called Faith”

“And yet it appears he did. I am guessing this was when he took two weeks downtime?”

John nodded. “Yeah, sounds about right. I think he was still struggling with the brain parasite thing” He straightened. “Ok, which probably explains the getting drunk and hitched thing right? Not thinking straight, recovering from a traumatic experience..” He waved a hand vaguely.

“Perhaps” Richard consulted his tablet again. “Except that it appears they had already been married once before” He gaped at the speaking man. “Um, divorce was finalised four months before he came to Atlantis the first time”

“Well…shit”

“John..”

“Sorry Tey” He offered a small smile. “So, he looks up the ex when he’s feeling down, we’ve all done that”

“I have not”

“Shut up Chewie”

Ronan grinned. “Still doesn’t explain who that girl was, and how she just disappeared with McKay”

John raised a brow at Mr Woolsey. He cleared his throat. “I can’t help with that I’m afraid unless you asked for her name?”

“No sorry, wasn’t really at the forefront of my mind”

“Never is”

“I’m pretty sure I said shut up” He glared at the Satedan who continued to grin back.

The expedition leader looked suspiciously like he was fighting a smirk. “Anyway, as I said I can’t help with whoever it was that appeared on the planet. However General O’Neill sent everything over on Mrs McKay that he could find, which to be honest isn’t a whole lot. She appears to be as nearly as mysterious as the friend who retrieved her husband for her”

“Of course she is” John sighed. “And?”

“Faith was born and raised in South Boston, and was permanently on the Social Services watch list. When they came to do their regular check just after her twelfth birthday they found her missing, her Mother claimed she had run away but never reported it. Then there is six years of nothing, no social security number, no school records, driving licence etc. She reappears at aged eighteen lying in a coma in a bed at Sunnydale Hospital. For the first three months she was a Jane Doe after a truck driver found her stabbed and suffering severe head trauma on top of a load he was carrying, she had no ID on her person. That was until a government agency located and identified her, claiming she works for them and has been missing for some time. They pay for her care and give strict instructions that she is not to be taken off her life support. Nine months later she wakes up and before anyone realises mugs a girl for her clothes and disappears again”

“This is not sounding good”

Richard raised a brow. “I agree”

“What agency?”

He sighed again. “No name was provided” John huffed a quiet laugh, this was getting ridiculous. “Six months after that she hands herself in to a police department in LA, confessing to the murder of one Allan Finch, who was Deputy Mayor of Sunnydale..”

“This town sounds like a death trap”

Ronan snorted quietly. Richard frowned at them. “Faith pleaded guilty and was sentenced to twenty-five to life. During her time in prison she was a model inmate, well-behaved, polite, helpful. There was one incident where another inmate attempted to stab her during their outside exercise and   
Faith defended herself effectively but did not cause the other woman any serious injury. However only two weeks after this Faith escaped, she was broken out by a man named Wesley Wyndham-Price”

“Bloody hell”

Richard grinned briefly. “Wesley was apparently an ex-employee of this mysterious agency, and was also wanted in connection to several violent crimes”

“Jesus, how the hell did Rodney get mixed up in this?”

“I don’t know John. I do know that both Faith and Mr Wyndham-Price were both cleared of any crimes that their names were linked to nearly a year later. By this time Faith would have been twenty-two. She pops up every now and then, the odd flight mainly to Europe, a couple of visits to the hospital and of course her two marriages to Dr McKay but apart from that nothing. No address, no official job etc etc”

“And this top secret agency?”

“O’Neill tried, pulled in all his favours. Said the only ones who obviously knew something were very reluctant to talk about it. He’s working on it but he guesses whoever they are they’re just as paranoid about secrecy as the SGC”

“Great, just great”

“We’ll find him John”

“Yeah, sure”


	4. Chapter Four

After Dr McKay had disappeared around the first turn of the staircase she sat back, spreading her arms across the back of her seat, drumming her fingers thoughtfully. “What do we think?” Two figures emerged from the background as if stepping through the very wall. She raised a brow.

“He’s certainly interesting”

Cici snorted. “Smart apparently. And has powerful connections”

“Powerful enough?” Angel padded quietly across the floor coming to a stop in front of her, forcing her to look up.

She frowned. “Stop trying to dominate me vampire, I could kick your arse”

“Like to see you try”

“Have, nailed it”

The other huffed a laugh. “Got you there Peaches”

“Quit calling me that Spike”

“Nope”

Angel glowered at his GrandChilde before taking a seat next to Cici. “Are you going to answer my question?”

She rolled her eyes. “Maybe. And his people have no connection to our world apart from the marriage”

“And they knew nothing of Faith?”

“No” She frowned. “That concerns me”

“We didn’t know of him until this shit kicked off Slayer” Spike propped himself against the wall. “Think he’ll agree?”

“Unknown. Even Faith is still unsure at the moment, she is unsure of everything since…” Cici trailed off, momentarily lost in the memory of that night. She jumped at a gentle squeeze to her shoulder.

Angel gave her a small smile. “It was not your fault, and you saved her”

“I should have been there”

“The fuckers shouldn’t have attempted it in the first place, and you have a duty too” Spike raised a brow. “Peaches is right, you did what you could, and you’re risking everything”

She rubbed a hand over her face. “They’re gonna bloody well pay for this”

”The ones that were there already did, you saw to that. Leave the rest to us”

“I should stay”

“No” Angel frowned. “We’re no Slayer’s but we’re not exactly newborns Cici, we have people on side, good and strong people. Faith will need you, even with this Dr McKay around. And if they find her you are the only one who will have a chance in hell”

Cici nodded, pulling out her pigtails and shaking her hair loose. “I know, I’m just not sure I’m ready”

“Course you are Pet” Spike grinned at her. “Beat the shit out of Mr Dark and Brooding here didn’t ya?”

“I wish you’d stayed dead”

“Ah, you don’t mean that” Spike winked at Cici and she gave a small grin in reply. “You’re as ready as you’re gonna be, keep doing what you’re doing, we’ll buy you as much time as we can. And don’t forget you have the rest of your team. Faith has an excellent eye, you’re the best”

“Not THE best”

“Well, that can’t be helped. Just remember we’ve taken out Slayer’s before and you can best us. It’s not always about brute strength, it’s about learning, watching, taking advantage. When people get too powerful they have a dangerous way of taking their own strength for granted, take their eye off the ball” This time Spike raised both brows and shot her a pointed look.

She swallowed and nodded again. “I’ll remember”

“Good”  
 

They watched as Cici tilted her head to the side, frowning slightly. She stood. “I must go, Faith needs me”

“Course. We’ll be gone in five. This place is getting a little too popular with the tourists. Want me to put in the call?”

She licked her lips, obviously distracted. “Please Angel” The young Slayer jogged towards the stairs, pausing briefly to turn to them. “Thank you, good luck”

“You too”

They watched her take the stairs two at a time until she disappeared from sight. Angel met Spike’s gaze. “That’s a neat trick they have going on”

The other vampire was chewing his lip, a sure sign he was processing some kind of strenuous thoughts. “Yeah”

“Ever seen it before in Slayers?”

“Nope” A hand was run through bleached blonde hair. “Telepathy. Makes you wonder what else she’s been teaching ‘em”

“Umhmm. And who taught her”

“Think we chose the right side GrandSire?”

Angel looked at him in surprise. Spike had always made a point of giving the more traditional elements of being part of a nest a wide-berth. He must be worried. He leant his elbows on his knees, lacing his fingers together and fixing the younger vampire with a steady gaze. “Yes”

He saw Spike’s jaw twitch before he nodded. “Me too” His eyes flickered upwards. “Don’t mean they don’t scare the shit out of me any less than the others”

“Good” Angel stood. “Means they’re still Slayer’s and ones who may actually stand a chance even with this insane plan”

“I’ll miss ‘em, crazy fuckers”

He snorted. “Yeah, me too. Don’t worry, sure we’ll meet some more insane people again soon”

“It has become somewhat a tradition”

“I’m sure thats your fault”

He was flipped off. “Bite me Peaches”

“Maybe later”

Slightly glazed blue eyes met his, a little flash of gold that was gone in an instant. “Tease”

Angel rolled his eyes. “I’m making the call, make sure we’ve got everything we need”

“You need a bloody servant” Spike grumbled but made his way to the back room.

“Got one” Grinning to himself he lifted the phone, carefully dialling the number. He’d had to keep it stored in his head, the slightest paper trail, the merest whiff of a connection and he could wave goodbye to his most important parts, and probably some less important ones too. The phone clicked but stayed silent. “It’s time” No sooner were the words out of his mouth he was listening to a dial tone. He rolled his eyes and dropped it back down. For now he’d played his part, it was time to find somewhere quiet for a month or so, things were about to change again and decades of experience told him it was best to wander back in with a suitably surprised look on his face once all the hitting and stabbing was done with.  
 

“Baby, stop hovering” HIs wife shot him a slightly tired smile as she placed the last couple of items into the bag on her bed.

Rodney glowered at her. “I’m pretty sure I should be doing that. And I’m allowed to hover..” He waved a hand. “I mean, you just told me…”He suppressed the urge to shiver.

“Mer..”

“Rodney”

Faith smiled at him again. He swallowed, God she was so beautiful, even scared and hurting. She placed a hand on his cheek. “Rodney. Sorry” There was the gentlest press of lips against his. “I’m ok, I promise. And I have to do some things otherwise I’m gonna stiffen up, and maybe get gross bedsores”

He wrinkled his nose. “They are gross”

She laughed quietly. “I’d forgotten how much I love you”

Rodney gaped at her back as she turned to zip up the duffle. “I love you too” He whispered.

“Thank fuck for that” Faith turned and grinned at him.

“Although perhaps we should talk about the cursing, at some point before the baby is born” He trailed off as an eyebrow was raised. “Um, if that’s uh, ok with you”

“You don’t need to be scared” His wife pointed at herself. “Weak and defenceless now remember?”

“But I am not” He turned at the sound of her voice, the terrifying blonde was propped in the doorway. “And don’t you forget it Dr McKay”

“Cici, be nice baby girl”

“I hate being nice”

“I’d noticed” Rodney rolled his eyes. “Well, what do you want?”

“Ooh, he’s feisty Faith” Cici waggled her brows. “And yet he looks so…”

“Hey!” He scowled at her. “Well?”

“Faith calls, I come” Another smirk.

“You swing between insults and innuendo a disturbing amount of times in a very small time frame”

Cici’s brow furrowed. “Um, thank you. I think?” She shrugged. “Anyway, it’s time to go and Faith has requested help with her things. Am I carrying you or your baggage? Or the duffle?”

Rodney looked at his wife. “Seriously, you recruited her?” He pointed at the younger Slayer. “Her?”

“Now guys” Faith looked between them. “I need you to at least be civil, you’re the two most important people in my life, well nearly..” She rubbed her stomach. “..and I can’t be doing with bitching ok?”

Cici chewed her lip and nodded. “Sure, I’m sorry”

Rodney eyed the other woman in surprise before slowly nodding himself. “Yeah, sure”

“Good” Faith nodded. “I am walking downstairs, like hell I’m being carried. It’s incredibly undignified. I’ll just need my husbands arm, and you can grab the rest Cici. Please”

They looked at each other a moment longer then nodded again. 

“Sure”

“Whatever you want”

As they stood in the middle of the hall five minutes later, waiting for something else that Rodney had no clue about he received a light tap to his arm. He looked over at Cici. She smiled up at him. “So, who’s the cute one with the hair, and the diplomatic skill?” She winked.

He narrowed his gaze. “Don’t even think about it”

She continued to smile. “Why?”

“I’ll write you a list”

Cici pouted at him. “Spoilsport”


	5. Chapter Five

Faith stood and looked out over the dusty car park, the muted sounds of their last preparations drifting from the cheap motel room. She’d hidden the other two members of her team here, they were younger than Cici which made them weaker and she was unsure exactly what would be sent after them. She sighed quietly, the past weeks had been filled with working towards this moment, keeping her preoccupied, busy enough not to think about what she was embarking upon, and what she was asking her team to do. Faith didn’t believe in much, except for her friends and her husband, but she hoped to hell that despite this something had chosen to look over them, they could use all the help they could get. Making this final step would take them far away from the last of their allies and into a unknown world, one that may not like the sudden arrival of people like her, and who definitely were going to be pissed Rodney had been unceremoniously kidnapped this morning.

She really had to step up Cici’s training when it came to diplomacy, and manners. Faith had picked the young Slayer as the first to join her team because had she reminded her of herself before all the shit had gone down, knew somewhere under the attitude and the tendency to be a rude, spoilt brat there lurked a loyal and kind heart, and also a little bruised and battered one. It didn’t hurt that her second in command had fulfilled, and furthered, her potential to become an incredibly powerful Slayer too. Cici could go from a cute pigtailed cheerleader to a terrifying warrior with an almost disturbing capacity for violence in the blink of an eye. 

When she’d found Faith injured and bleeding out that night she had gone after those remaining in the house with a cold intensity that had disturbed even the older Slayer, the Dark Slayer herself. She had lain there helpless, watching them trying to run, hearing their screams as the full force of a highly pissed off Slayer hit them. When it had gone quiet Cici had come running back to her, swept her up into her arms and that was when Faith had passed out. When she’d woken it was nearly a week later and she was alive, and so was her baby. She still didn’t know how they’d done it, wasn’t sure that she wanted to but ever since then her protégée had spent every moment she wasn’t looking for Rodney by her side. She sighed quietly, Faith just hoped that Cici could find a way back from that night and that she also found something to distract her once they were on the city, she really didn’t fancy having to keep her dearest friend and her husband from trying to kill each other all the time, and Rodney probably wouldn’t be best pleased to find Cici curled up in their bed every night.

She jumped slightly as strong arms wrapped around her, resting lightly on her bump. “Everything ok?”

Faith smiled slightly. “You won’t kill Rodney will you?”

“No one lets me have any fun anymore” A soft kiss was pressed to her neck before she was released from the gentle hold. Cici stepped up beside her. “And no. I actually kinda like him. Never met anyone that was brave enough to try to boss me around, except you”

She snorted. “Maybe you should try going with the pigtails more often, and watching your mouth”

“Boring” Cici grinned over at her. “Although the pigtails do seem to have quite a satisfactory effect”

“Uh huh, just remember if they do let us stay we won’t be going anywhere else for a long time. Try not to piss everyone off ok?”

“Yes Mum”

Faith flipped her off. “And choose your company wisely”

Cici sighed. “So, I have to be polite AND keep it in my pants?”

“Yes baby girl. At least until they get to know us a bit better yeah? I can’t afford for us not to be welcome there”

“I know” She squeezed Faith’s hand. “And I’m only joking. I can do well-behaved, and I can be quite charming”

“That’s half our problem”

“I am awesome”

“You’re a pain in the arse” Faith smirked at her scowl then leant forward, pressing a kiss to her cheek. “But we love you, they will love you…eventually”

“Don’t tell me I’ve got to live with the homicidal maniac as well?”

They turned to see Rodney stood in the open door. Cici folded her arms across her chest. “You wish”

“No, I really don’t” He glared at her before softening his gaze an smiling at Faith. “They’re ready”

She nodded. “Ok baby, thank you”

He sighed. “Don’t thank me Faith. I want to do this”

“Of course he does”

“Can we leave the crazy one behind?”

Cici pushed off the railings of the beaten up veranda and strolled towards him.

Faith rolled her eyes. “Ci..”

A hand was waved and the younger Slayer came to a stop in front of him. “I’m sure you’ll grow to at least like me Dr McKay. And I happen to think you’re ok”

He stared at her for a minute. “Um, right. Ok. Uh, thank you?”

Cici nodded. “If you fuck this up, hurt my friend, I will make you feel pain everyday for the rest of your life. And I’ll make sure it’s a very long life” She strolled past him and disappeared back into the room.

Faith smiled sheepishly at her husband. “She says it out of love, and she means well”

Rodney sighed again. “I know” He held a hand out which she stepped forward to take. “And I’m glad you seem to have the most terrifying bodyguard who ever lived”

She huffed a laugh. “She saved my life”

“I’ll buy her some flowers”

“She’d probably prefer a new axe”

   
12 hours after Dr McKay’s disappearance…..

“I have clearance for you to head back to Earth Colonel, but do you really think..?” Mr Woolsey trailed off.

“I have to do everything I can Richard”

The other man nodded. “Of course, I understand, and wish you luck”

“Thank you” He stood, the remains of his team rising with him. O’Neill must have really pulled some strings to have the two Pegasus natives granted all access passes to Earth. He began to address his 2IC. “We’ll…” Woolsey’s eyes widened, focused on the end of the briefing table. John and Evan turned, Ronan beating them by a hairsbreadth, weapons automatically rising, taking aim.

“No shooting” Rodney waggled a Starbucks cup at him and smiled sheepishly. “A part bribe, part apology, its your favourite”

He stared at his friend, eyes quickly sweeping over the others who stood with him. “Rodney…”

“It’s ok, they’re friendly. Well, some of them”

John raised a brow.

Rodney huffed. “For fuck’s sake, do you think at least my wife can sit down?”

“It’s ok baby” The brunette by his side squeezed the arm that she was holding. “They need to be sure”

“And you need to be sitting” He scowled at John before pulling a seat out and turning his gaze on her. “Sit”

“Mer..”

“Sit”

“McKay..”

“Shut up Colonel”

“Hey!”

Ronan snorted and re-holstered his weapon. John eyed him, the Satedan nodded. “They are good, and this one is hurt” He nodded at the brunette. “And pregnant”

“No shit” The blonde who’d snatched his friend from right under his nose only a few hours ago rolled her eyes and threw herself into a chair.

“Oh please, make yourself at home”

She grinned up at him. “Thanks”

He pinched the bridge of his nose, ignoring his smirking friends, and sighed. “That had better have caramel in it McKay”

“Uh huh, and a triple shot” Rodney took a seat, sliding the cup down the table.

The woman next to him huffed a laugh. “I’m afraid this is my fault, I’m Faith” She smiled at him. “Rodney’s wife”

John fought the urge to say ‘no shit’ and re-took his seat instead. McKay’s wife was stunning, and young, and pregnant. There were dark tousled waves and the deepest brown eyes he’d ever seen, he tried not to stare at her rather prominent bump as she rubbed slow circles over it. He cleared his throat, reaching for the coffee. “Right, well I’m just going to enjoy my bribe while you explain..everything”

“Do you trust everyone here?” Rodney’s wife looked at him, the kind of look that said I’ll know if you’re lying and pregnant or not you will be sorry if you do. And yes, I’m perfectly within my right to question the loyalty of your people, albeit very politely and with a smile on my face.

He felt his jaw twitch. “Yes”

Faith stared at him for a moment then nodded. “Very well” The other’s in the room lowered themselves back into their chairs and waited quietly. “As you’ve already guessed I’m Faith, Mer..Rodney’s wife” She shot her husband a grin which he glowered at. John bit the inside of his mouth to stop from joining her. “The one you met earlier is Cici, the other blonde is Laurie and then Parker” The other three young women nodded at the mention of their names but stayed quiet.

John nodded. “Richard Woolsey, Major Evan Lorne, Ronan, Teyla. I’m Colonel John Sheppard”

“Rodney gave me a brief description of his friends out here. I was unsure if this was the best move for me”

He raised a brow but took a sip of coffee rather than speak again. When he felt out of the loop conversation wise John had always found it was best to stay quiet, let the other person talk.

“So I’m guessing you’ve done a little digging on me huh?”

Richard nodded. “As would be expected when one of our personnel simply vanishes whilst on a mission. Although I have to say your file is a little…sparse”

Faith snorted quietly. “Yeah well that means I’m doing my job properly” She sat back a little, obviously trying to get comfier. “Guess I should start with the traditional opening line” She cleared her throat. “Into every generation a Slayer is born: one girl in all the world, a chosen one. She alone will wield the strength and skill to fight the vampires, demons and the forces of darkness; to stop the spread of their evil and the swell of their number. She is the Slayer”

His eyes briefly met Lorne’s before both men looked casually away from each other

“A Slayer is a young girl given powers that originate from pure demon essence. It gives her strength, speed, agility, stamina, heightened senses and accelerated healing. It also pretty much seals her fate of dying young. Slayer’s do well to reach their eighteenth birthday. At least thats how it used to be”

John shot a look at Richard this time but he appeared to be listening with interest. He took a sip of coffee and waited, he was pretty sure it was all going to make sense…eventually. Maybe when Rodney started talking.

“A group of tribal elders calling themselves the Shadow Men created the First Slayer during prehistoric times, her name was Sineya. When she died another Slayer was called and so on and so on. The Shadow Men’s descendants went on to form the Watcher’s Council. Carried on like that for thousands of years, Slayer’s being called, getting killed, the Council watching them, guiding them, training them. Then a few years back a Slayer was chosen that would change everything. She broke the rules, pushed further than any girl had done before…”

“You?”

Faith raised a brow at Teyla. “No, the one who was two before me. See with her it all started to change, get twisted, for the first time in history there were two Slayers. She was killed and brought back causing another girl to be called. The one before me, she was Kendra, lasted three months in our world. Got herself killed by a powerful vamp. Then there came me” She sighed quietly. “A lot of shit had to go down to get us to this point but now theres even more Slayer’s, all working together and finally managing to actually get a handle on the evil in the world. This means we are all hopefully able to live slightly longer lives than the girls who came before us. This is my team” She gestured to the three other women. “Was my team…” She smiled a little sadly and for the first time he noticed the shadows under her eyes.

“You ok” Murmured Rodney.

John tried not to show his surprise at the easily displayed concern from his usually uptight friend.

Faith nodded. “Yes. Just tired now”

He leant forward, frowning as he remembered what Ronan had said. “You’ve been hurt? Do you need someone?”

She shook her head, a more genuine smile crossing her face. “No, no thank you. I just, sometimes I forget. Used to being all kick arse and super powered”

“I’ll finish honey” Cici patted her hand then turned to face the others. “Slayer’s aren’t allowed to have children”

“Why?” Teyla was looking curiously at them now as well.

“They give many reasons” Cici waved a hand vaguely. “But the main two are that firstly we lose our power whilst carrying a child, leaving us open to many threats, we generally manage to build up quite a list of enemies through our work. Secondly, a Slayer’s daughter will be a Slayer. There was never supposed to be this many of us, although it means our fight has become a lot easier and many of us live a lot longer..it has thrown out the natural balance. Our powers do not mature until we turn fifteen but there were many underage girls who already existed when the change was made. That means for the next few years new Slayer’s will be turning up all over the place. They say our numbers are increasing too quickly, there is too much risk, too much chaos”

“So you’re not allowed to make any more Slayer’s?” John frowned again.

“Exactly. Personally I think most of it is based on our superiors own fear that we will in some way outgrow them, they will become superfluous” She shrugged. “But that is not the important matter right now. It is very rare for this to happen, it is not often a Slayer forms a successful long term relationship, let alone gets married or considers having a family of her own. Since the change there has been only two others. Both of those baby’s were boys, even so the Mother’s were forced to have them adopted”

John waited in silence, the rest of his people doing the same. This was obviously leading somewhere even worse.

“But Faith is expecting a girl, adoption would not be a viable option for the Council”

He swallowed. “What is?”

“They want the child…gone”

He licked his lips, the coffee suddenly sitting strangely in his stomach. “Gone?”

Cici nodded. “They have already tried to take it”

He looked round the table at the expressions on his friends faces that suspected was mirrored on his own before meeting Rodney’s eyes. The other man looked both terrified and completely enraged, and John figured he’d had a little longer to let this information sink in.

“What can we do?” Woolsey was studying the visitors.

Rodney leant forward. “I can hide Faith here, and my daughter. They don’t think they’ll find them here”

“Even though you seem to be able to pop in and out of a different galaxy without any apparent effort?” John raised a brow.

“It’s not a trick widely available. I was taught it by an old friend and passed on my knowledge to my team when I started looking for Rodney” Faith was starting to look really tired now. “I don’t think they even know it’s possible, even if they do they wouldn’t think I would be smart enough..”

“Would we be any help if they did find you?”

She shook her head slightly. “I wouldn’t risk Rodney or his friends. If they find me…they find me. But hopefully they won’t be looking”

“They won’t?” Lorne swivelled in his chair a little.

Cici grinned at him. “Faked our death”

“Pardon?” John blinked at her.

She smiled back. “When we finally found Mer..Rodney we initiated the next stage of the plan. Faith and her team were tragically killed during a last desperate stand against their most powerful enemy”

“And that would be?”

“Some really big monsters, that wanted Faith’s child for it’s power”

John eyed her. “Are you a little insane?”

“Perhaps a touch”

Ronan grinned at John who tried to remain professional, and commandery. “Right, great. Well, uh, Richard?”

“I see no problem in them staying”

“Do we tell O’Neill?”

“I’d rather we didn’t” Rodney shot John a look. “Especially if you’ve been asking around about Faith. Might raise suspicions”

He ran a hand through his hair. “Right” He sighed quietly. “Ok, lets just get everyone settled in yeah? We can sort things as they smack us in the face so to speak and I’ll speak to O’Neill, say we located you here in Pegasus”

“Thank you Colonel”

John nodded at his friend. “Get your wife to Keller for a check up..” He held out a hand as Faith opened her mouth to presumably argue. “You will Mrs McKay or I’ll send you straight back to Earth, then you both look like you could do with some serious rest. Take a week Rodney”

“Thank you” The man stood and helped his wife up, guiding her towards the door.

“Oh, and Rodney…”

“Yes?”

“Congratulations” He got a small but slightly happier smile which he returned before swivelling back to the others in the room. “Now, what are we going to do with you?” Cici grinned at him “Don’t even think about it” Ronan snorted quietly, Teyla found something very interesting on the table top. John rolled his eyes.

“Already did” She continued to grin. “Then Rodney gave me a list”

There was a quiet choking sound, he turned in time to see the Major place his coffee mug carefully down on the table. John narrowed his gaze. “A list?”

“It is quite long”

“Bet it is” Muttered Lorne.

“Hey!”

Someone cleared their throat. “We thought we may be able to help you with your Wraith problem Colonel Sheppard”

He focused on the one called Parker. “You did?”

“Slayer…strong, fast, fights monsters. Rodney told us about them. They sound like fun”

“Fun?”

“Umhmm” He got another sly smile and with it a horrible feeling that things were never going to be quite the same in his city again.

“You’re strong huh?” Ronan was grinning.

John rolled his eyes. “No Chewie”

“Fast too” A wider grin.

“Ro..”

“I think the warrior wants to spar” Cici grinned back at the Satedan. “You best start with either Laurie or Parker, wouldn’t want to break you on our first day”  
 

One hour later.

John sighed as Beckett stitched the cut above Ronan’s eye. “Well, that went as well as predicted”

Ronan was still managing to grin like a maniac despite having the shit kicked out of him. “That was awesome”

“Quit stealing my lines. And are you mad? Telling her to stop holding back?”

“She was still holding back”

He stared at him. “You’re shitting me?”

“Nope” More grinning. “Think about the Wraith Sheppard”

“Yeah well, at least they’ll probably be as surprised as us”

“And I have more people to spar with”

“No more sparring with the crazy girls with superpowers”

Beckett tied off the stitches. “I agree lad. Did quite a number on you didn’t she?”

“It was awesome”

John closed his eyes. “Are you a secret masochist or something?”

“What’s a masochist?”

“Go ask Lorne”


	6. Chapter Six

Faith stepped out of the bathroom running a towel over her hair. She smiled at her husband who was sprawled on the bed flicking through his tablet. “I think we made your boss mad”

He snorted. “Don’t worry, he’ll get over it. And Ronan seemed happy enough”

“Yeah, never met anyone who was actually pleased about taking a punch from a Slayer before, except for maybe another Slayer”

“Well he is a little unbalanced, comes from all those years on the run”

She raised a brow and popped herself on the edge of the bed. “On the run from what?”

“Wraith” He raised his eyes from his work. “Um, sometimes they choose people from the planets they cull to use as prey, like a sport. They implant a tracker and send them off through a gate. Not only do you have to try to outrun them but you also lead to them other planets, if they’re inhabited the Wraith take those people too. Ro did it for a long time”

“I really don’t like these guys already”

“Not many people do”

“My girls will make them sorry”

“Your girls are terrifying”

“So am I” She grinned at him.

“Not any more Faith” He eyed her. “After the baby is born, will you..?”

“I’ll get my mojo back yes” She stretched out next to him. “And no, I haven’t decided if I’ll go back out in the field”

“I’d prefer not” He turned onto his side, fingers trailing over her skin, cautiously running over the beginning of the sweep of her stomach. “I can’t believe they did that to you. I don’t think I could watch you..go back”

Faith closed her eyes briefly. “I won’t go back, not there. But here, once I’m back up to speed I could help my team. In case you’ve forgotten I’m the second most kick arse person on Earth”

“But maybe not here”

“Maybe. It’s an unknown but we’ll have a better idea once Cici and the others start heading out” She caught his hand, lacing their fingers together. “I don’t know how well I’ll cope never going out in the field again baby. Kinda what I was made for”

“No, you were born human Faith, no Slayer there. Another thing I really fucking hate the Council for, and their creepy ancestors”

She sighed. “If it wasn’t for them you would have been demon chow, and we would have never met”

“You don’t know that”

“Don’t think we really would have travelled in the same circles Dr McKay”

He frowned at her. “You underestimate yourself. Even without the Slayer you’re an amazing person”

“Rodney..”

“Smart and beautiful, kind, loyal, generous..”

“Homicidal, unstable, maybe with a hint of kleptomania”

He grinned. “And you know the word kleptomania, hardly any ex-cons have that wide of a vocabulary”

She separated their hands to flip him off. “Are you sure its gonna be ok here?”

“Yeah” He looked around his room. “Yeah, I really think so. But I might look into moving to the family quarter’s, they’re bigger with two bedrooms, and a lot have balcony’s. What do you think?”

“I think it sounds nicer than anywhere I’ve ever lived before. Think we’ll be able to live together without killing each other?”

“Probably”

She huffed a quiet laugh and curled into his side, running kisses up his throat.

“Faith..”

Humming quietly she wriggled slightly, her bump was now at the size where it could sometimes reach where she wanted to be before she could.

“Faith..” Her husband leant away slightly, frowning down at her.

She raised a brow. “What?”

He cleared his throat. “I really don’t think..I mean. I feel weird, and you’re still hurting”

She tried a reassuring smile. “I’m fine baby. Just a little tired. And I’ve missed you”

“I missed you too” Rodney ran a hand through his hair. “I just..I don’t want to make it worse”

“You won’t” She sighed quietly at his look of disbelief. “Rodney, I missed you. I’ve been scared, and angry…and lonely. Cici, she’s been great, she’s given all she can but you, you are my husband, the man I love. I wanted so much to run to you all those weeks ago”

“And I wasn’t there” He was beginning to look a little pale again.

“Both of our faults. And you’re here now” Faith stroked a foot over his calf. “And you’re still cute”

“Oh yeah, just what any man wants to hear”

“I want you”

Her husband made a strange little noise in his throat and she smirked at him. He glared back. “You’re not ready”

“Unlike you” Faith smiled at him from under her lashes and slipped her hand inside his open BDU’s, wrapping her fingers around his dick, which despite his protestations was already half-hard and twitching slightly.

Rodney gave a quiet groan. “Faith, sweetheart. Please..”

“No acrobatics baby, just some slow, lazy touching followed by slow, lazy sex”

“No sex”

“The Doc cleared me”

He gaped at her. “You asked Keller?!”

“Yep”

Rodney closed his eyes. “Oh God”

“Don’t be embarrassed baby, she only smirked once”

“Oh God!”

“And we’re married, people are gonna expect us to have sex at some point”

“Can we please stop talking about this?” He whispered.

Faith began to stroke slowly up and down. “Touch me” There was that cute little strangled sound again, she grinned. “I’m naked”

“I know” There was a light stroke down her side, his warm palm raising goosebumps until it stopped just above her knee when his arm wouldn’t stretch any further. “Turn over”

She raised a brow which he matched and made a twirling motion with his finger. Biting back a smart arse remark Faith wordlessly shifted until her back was pressed against his chest. She felt him lean away a little, pulling his tee over his head before kicking off his pants, when he moved back to settle in behind her she hummed quietly at the feel of his skin against hers. Faith had been a little concerned that losing her powers would mean the feel of him, and his scent, would lose it’s comforting presence but it seemed that part of the Slayer was still working fine. A pillow was slid   
under her stomach and she rolled her eyes.

“No complaining or its not happening”

“I love it when you get all bossy”

“Cut it out” She grinned and wriggled against him. “Yeah, yeah. Tell me if anything…”

Faith nodded. “I promise”

His fingers curled round her hip, their tips brushing the bottom of her bump, those soft kisses that had surprised her so much the first time they’d slept together but that she loved trailing up her throat. Faith arched her neck slightly, another hum of pleasure. He huffed quietly against her skin before leaning over further, drawing her into a kiss whilst his hand slipped under her stomach, almost cradling their baby before travelling lower, light teasing strokes. Faith could feel herself growing warmer, her frayed nerves being soothed by his touch, the care and love he was showing. Not many got to see this side of him, and she had always felt honoured he had let her in, as she had him.

Rodney pulled back, his eyes now a little glazed but still their startling blue. Slow circles were being drawn over her thigh. Faith made sure she kept their eye contact, he licked his lips. “I love you”

“I love you too baby”

He nodded. “Cici will be the least of their problems if they ever come near you again”

Faith cupped his face in her hands. “I know. Thank you”

“You’re mine”

She nodded. “Yes”  
 

Evan watched carefully as the two women exchanged elegant, well thought out blows. Ronan’s spar with the youngest Slayer had been a little brutal, the Satedan was quick and knowledgable but he forced his opponents to use their full strength, preferred contact heavy sparring. Sometimes Evan thought he needed it, needed to feel a little pain, needed to be pushed until he was aching and bleeding. He kinda got it, when a mission went bad or he was getting frustrated it was always Ro he sought out to fight with, it released your anger until you were too exhausted to care anymore.

But this was a different match all together. The Slayer called Cici would easily out do Teyla strength wise but it appeared they were feeling out each other’s styles, appreciating the way the other used their mind as well as their physical skills. He had no doubt that both of them could continue like this for hours yet. He was quite happy to stay here for as long as it took, it was beautiful to watch and he was surprised that he was still the only person who had been drawn here. Usually things like this travelled fast around the city. He looked over as the door slid open and his CO skirted the mat coming to a stop next to him.

“Thought there’d be more of a crowd”

He huffed a quiet laugh. “Think everyones having a lie down after Ro’s fight”

“Yeah” John winced sympathetically. “That had to hurt”

“You having a go Sir?”

“Are you suggesting I’m suicidal?”

“I’m suggesting you rarely pass up a chance to spar with pr..”

“Shut up Lorne”

“Shutting up Sir” He returned his gaze to the mat. “They seem to have picked up Bantos pretty quickly”

His CO shrugged. “Rodney said they’re trained in loads of different styles, guess theres something similar somewhere on Earth”

“Hmm, how’d you think they’ll go up against the Wraith?”

“If its all hand to hand I think we can safely say they’ll kick arse but a hit from a stunner and they’re as defenceless as we are”

“Yeah” Evan frowned. “And who knows what feeding from a Slayer will do to the Wraith”

“Great, super charged Wraith”

He snorted quietly. “How did O’Neill take the good news?”

“He seemed satisfied enough, asked for the normal reports once everything had settled back down”

“But..?”

“But the man is bloody intuitive, sometimes I wonder if he’s still all human after years of being infected, and stunned, and taken off by the Asgard”

Lorne huffed a quiet laugh. “Yeah. Well, we’re not much better probably”

John pursed his lips in thought. “Hmm, been a lot of drugged wine”

“Drugged food”

“Wraith stunners”

“Bugs” The Major grinned at him.

John scowled. “Don’t say it” He straightened and smoothed his expression as the sound of Bantos smacking together ceased and the two women strolled over. “All finished Tey?”

“Yes John” She smiled. “I look forward to training with Cici, she is very proficient”

“Umhmm, I am awesome”

He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, you’re great”

“Uh huh” The Slayer smiled up at him, twirling a strand of hair round her finger. “Now, do you happen to have one of these Wraith stunner thingies on the city?”

“Um..” He frowned.

“Super hearing”

“Well, thats going to suck”

Evan grinned. “What for?”

“We are immune to a lot of things, I want to see if we can take a blast from one without falling unconscious. It would certainly make our lives a lot easier. Nothing more annoying than waking up strapped to a table”

“I thought that only happened to us? And possibly SG-1”

“Who’s SG-1? Are they hot?” Another smile. “And do you have a Wraith thingie?”

He glared at her. “People you will never meet. And no, they’re not hot..“

“I don’t know Sir, uh Mitchell..”

“Ev..”

“And defiantly Vala..”

“Shut up Lorne” He scowled at his 2IC then turned back to the Slayer who was still watching him with those eyes. He fought the desire to lick his lips. “And no we don’t have one of those Wraith thingies” John pursed his lips in thought. “Nearest thing we have is Ro’s gun”

“Cool, lets try that then”

“You want Ronan to shoot you?”

“Yep. Or he can shoot Parker, get a little revenge?” She waggled her brows.

“You’re all insane”

“Thank you”

Evan snorted. “I’ll radio him”

“Great, it’ll make his day getting to shoot stuff as well”  
 

They were still in the sparring room. John watched as Cici took a tenth shot from Ronan’s gun, this one made her step back an inch but her expression was still relaxed, pain-free. He kept his gaze on her face as the Satedan prepared to fire again, she seemed totally focused on the weapon pointed at her from fifteen feet away. He heard the familiar sound of the blast, moved forward as the Slayer suddenly twisted to the side thinking she’d finally reached her limit but Cici remained upright, the wall gently smoking behind her.

“Impressive” Ronan re-holstered his gun, wandered lazily towards them.

“Thank you” She smiled. “As is your weapon”

Laurie giggled then snapped her mouth shut, biting her lip and widening her eyes as John shot her a look.

“I know”

John rolled his eyes at the warrior and dared Lorne to say something with his narrowed gaze. The Major held two hands up in silent surrender. He examined the wall, to dodge a blast from Ro’s gun was impressive, they were quick too. “Could you have done that the first time?”

“Probably”

He looked at her over his shoulder, raised a brow.

Cici shrugged. “You can never be certain”

“So you can be sensible”

“Yes, but I find it incredibly dull” She grinned at him, her two team mates smiling at the floor behind her.

John straightened and turned to face her, arms folding across his chest. “Well prepare to be incredibly bored Miss Black, because if you’re out here fighting Wraith you fall under my command. And I prefer sensible to stupid and dangerous”

Cici tilted her head, a curious expression crossing her face. Parker and Laurie took a step back. He stood firm. “Your command” She echoed.

“Yes” He ignored the rapid throat cutting signal Lorne was making. This girl had an edge to her, it didn’t take long in her company to pick up on that and he’d rather establish his authority now than in the middle of a shoot out on a Hive. “You’re here because your leader is in trouble, we’re happy to have you around. But if you’re coming off-world with us, getting involved in our fight then you follow the same rules as my men. I have no desire to lose people either, we’re not super powered and you need to remember that”

She blinked at him. “That won’t be a problem. We will face the Wraith alone”

“No”

“Yes. We are a team. And I do not wish to endanger your people either”

“A team under my command”

“There’s those words again”

John ignored the widening circle around them, even Teyla seemed to have subtly distanced herself. “Get used to them”

There was that curious look once more, her eyes burning into his. He waited to see what appendage she was going to tear off first, trying not to show the way his stomach was rolling in his facial expression. Then Cici smiled. “I shall try my best”

He refused to gape at her, nodding instead. “Good”

She continued to smile, eyes dancing. “Your command” She suddenly looked thoughtful. “Huh” Laurie appeared by her side, gym bag in hand. Cici nodded at him, lips still twitching. “I’ll see you later Colonel”

John watched them leave the room, refusing to acknowledge the drip of sweat running down the small of his back under his shirt. He eyed his friends. “Did ‘I’ll see you later Colonel’ sound like a threat?”

Ronan grinned at him, Lorne rolled his eyes, Teyla moved forward and patted his hand. “I am sure she was merely being polite John, perhaps she wishes to join you for dinner”

“Not helping Tey”

“I am sorry John” The Athosian smiled serenely at him. “I think she likes you”

Lorne snorted quietly.

“Oh piss off, the lot of you”


	7. Chapter Seven

“You shot at my team?” Faith raised a brow.

Ronan shrugged. “They asked me to”

“Of course they did” She sighed. “And?”

“It tingled a bit after the tenth shot but I think its safe to say we’re gonna be able to take the Wraith stunners no problem”

She looked over at Cici. “I love how you’ve thought this all through”

“You trained us”

“Yeah, bad me” She grinned. “So, when you going hunting?”

“Tomorrow”

“I don’t remember that briefing” John leant back in his chair and grabbed his coffee. He’d just sat through what was probably the most entertaining, and at the same time disturbing, dinner of his life. And the mess was rammed, and Sergeant Hawkes had been nursing the same boiled potato for a good half hour now. He could feel a headache coming on.

“Uh huh, we definitely agreed tomorrow”

Faith grinned. “Play nice baby girl”

“I am. He’s still alive isn’t he?”

John pointed at her. “Briefing tomorrow at zero nine hundred, we’ll decide then”

Cici leant into Faith. “What’s zero nine hundred?’

“Nine in the morning”

“There is no nine in the morning”

“Yes there is” John grinned at her. “Briefing room Miss Black, or you’re not going anywhere”

She turned to Faith. “Perhaps I could just kill him a little bit?”

“No”

“You’re boring since you got knocked up”

Faith stuck her tongue out. Laurie nodded and swallowed her mouthful. “She totally let you kill that guy in Brussels”

“Uh huh”

“What?” Rodney was gaping at his wife.

She waved a hand. “He wasn’t a guy guy”

“A guy guy?”

“No, he was you know..” She made a weird gesture with her head.

“Oh”

John looked between them. “Uh..”

“You probably don’t want to know”

He sighed over his coffee. “No killing anything other than Wraith” Cici pouted at him. He pointed at her again. “I mean it”

“You’re no fun”  
 

The next day, zero nine thirty.

“Great plan”

“Thanks”

“I was being sarcastic” John glared at her. “I said you’re not going just the three of you”

“We’re Slayer’s, we’re used to working alone and when the hunt is on we’ll forget you’re even there, it’s too big of a risk”

“The Wraith are our enemy”

“It doesn’t matter who kills your enemy, only that they are dead”

He shook his head. “Whoever trained you lot should be shot”

“Hey, the military has it’s ridiculous rules too” Cici scowled at him.

“Perhaps we should save that conversation for another day” Richard cleared his throat, shooting John a pointed look before turning back to the Slayers. “You need to realise how this sounds to us, we’re not a part of your world, haven’t seen you engage in battle. Whilst I am quite sure you are as proficient as you say you are here we support each other, provide back up”

“And we don’t leave anyone behind” John raised a brow.

“Well, that’s something we have in common at least”

He sighed. “If you do go alone how do you get off the Hive? And do you know how many are on those things?”

“Um, not sure yet, and yes, lots” She smiled back.

Faith cleared her throat. “I’m afraid Slayer’s rarely plan, we just like to wing it”

“Wing it?”

“Sir, you always wing it”

“I do not” He scowled at his 2IC. “Not all the time anyway. And not when deliberately getting captured by Wraith”

“Hey, maybe we could get the Colonel to pick us up once we’re done?”

“I’m not a freaking cab” John rolled his eyes. “We come with you?”

“We wouldn’t want you to get hurt”

He flipped her off.

“Baby girl” Faith frowned at her. “Stop teasing Sheppard”

“But he’s so easy”

“You have no idea” Muttered Rodney.

“Hey! No picking on the Military Commander” He placed his mug back down, tapping it thoughtfully. “You really think you can get Ro’s chip reactivated Rodney?”

The scientist nodded. “Yes, it’s been sat in a sealed stasis pod just in case waiting for me to get round to studying it. I’m pretty sure it should work again”

“Look..” He focused his gaze on Faith who was actually looking a hell of a lot better after just one day in the city. She smiled. “You’ve been out here four years, and maybe if it had just been the Wraith you had to deal with they’d be long gone but theres been other fights, other struggles. And some of those are still happening. Let my girls step in, lighten the load so to speak. They don’t do anything else except for hit the Wraith, hard. And the more familiar they become with them and their habits the more efficient they’ll get at killing them. You could have a Wraith free galaxy in under a year. Plus they’ll be so busy trying to keep their arses safe you’ll be freer to expand your explorations and the science side of the expedition”

John looked at her. “Seriously?”

“Yes” She nodded. “I wouldn’t endanger them any more than you would your own team”

He looked at the rest of the people around the table. The Major and Ronan gave a small nod, Teyla gave a half smile and Rodney, well he was watching his wife but for a moment his eyes flickered to John. Richard raised a brow. He blew out a quiet breath. “And if the chip works, you bring the Wraith to you what then? It’s all very well taking them on Hive by Hive but you’re going to need to get off the ships, wether you win or not”

Cici shrugged nonchalantly. “We’ll teleport”

“Too risky Ci” Faith raised a brow. “They could pick up the activity back home. And you may not be close enough to a planet with a gate, or with air”

“Hey, who’s the one that has been popping in and out of a different galaxy for the past month?” The younger Slayer matched her leaders brow raise. “It would be too infrequent and the power for just three of us too low key for it to register on Earth…and I’ve gotten pretty good at picking out a suitable landing spot”

Faith folded her arms across her chest. “No”

“You’re a stubborn bitch”

“You’re a crazy one”

“Pretty sure thats why I’m on your team” Cici grinned and winked. Faith flipped her off.

John cleared his throat, they fixed their gazes on him and he fought the urge to hide under the table. “At great personal risk I’m going to side with Faith on this one” There were a couple of quiet snorts and Cici narrowed her eyes. He grinned at her. “We need a different evac plan Miss Black, your great and powerful leader isn’t budging”

“She’s not so powerful at the moment Colonel Sheppard” The young woman leant over the table to glare at him. “I am currently the most powerful being in this galaxy and I vote teleportation”

“And so modest too” Rodney rolled his eyes. “If the smartest being in this galaxy may interject..”

“Wow, someone as egotistic as you Cici”

“Bite me Laurie”

“That’s enough” The self-proclaimed genius scowled at them. “Firstly, please don’t tar me with the same brush as this psychopath…” Cici flipped him off. “…Secondly, why don’t we just teach them how to pilot the Hives?”

John gaped at him. “You’re serious?”

His friend shrugged. “We have all the data needed to set up some simulations, and a couple of personnel who have first hand experience of flying them”

He narrowed his eyes. “I am not teaching the psychopath how to fly anything”

“Hey!” Miss Black was glaring at him again. “Why does everyone keep calling me that?”

“Everyone?”

“Fuck off Colonel”

“Cecilia that is enough” Faith pointed at her. “I told you to work on your social interaction skill set”

“Big words for an ex-con”

“Fuck off”

“Ok!” Richard held a hand up, looking over the people at the table. “I think we need to remember that this is supposed to be a vaguely professional briefing, with very serious consequences if we don’t reach a correct and agreed solution” There were a few muted nods, Cecilia was too busy death glaring John, he resolutely met her hardened eyes. “Even if the Slayers are able to pilot the Hives they cannot bring them here, the risk of a hidden tracker or some kind of signal being sent to other ships is too great. If they take them to an uninhabited planet with a gate they still have to resolve the problem of getting down to the planets surface” They all watched the Expediton leader. “So, do we teach them to also pilot the Darts? Or does Mrs McKay relent and allow them to teleport?” He laced his fingers together and propped his elbows on the table. “Or does a Jumper accompany them at all times, and would that Jumper be able to stick with them if they are transported onto a Hive?” They all looked at him. He raised a brow then sat back, smiling gently. “So people, what do we think?”

John was still maintaining eye contact with the psychopath whose jaw was subtly twitching, he could almost hear the grinding of teeth. He tried to soften his gaze. “A Jumper couldn’t stick with you if the Hive jumped into hyperspace”

Her eyes flickered for a minute before warming, then she nodded, licking her lips, releasing the tension in her face. The softening effect was immediate and he suddenly got a weird glimpse of what a non-warrior Cici Black may have looked like. “I still stand by teleportation. It won’t register, but I’ll make sure it’s always a long way from your home” She tilted her head slightly. “If you don’t mind teaching us, we’ll fly each Hive to the nearest planet with a gate then get ourselves down to the surface. The more we explore the galaxy the easier it will become, Slayers have an internal mapping system. We’ll learn the best places to head to pretty quickly”

He didn’t notice the subtly exchanged looks between the others at the table, too caught up in the realisation that Cici’s eyes were the colour of his beloved sky, he blinked slowly. “We’ll teach you how to fly, Hives and Darts. If there is any problem or an emergency you have my permission to teleport, just get you and your team out of there”

She nodded again. “Thank you “ she murmured. Breaking the spell the Slayer turned to her older friend as John fought off the sudden shiver. “Faith?”

The other woman shook her head and smiled sadly. “How do you do that honey?”

“It’s a gift” Cici smiled back.

Faith sighed. “Ok, but it is a last resort”

“Of course”

John shot his 2IC a quick look to double check he hadn’t just been played, the expression on Evan’s face suggested that he probably had but his second didn’t want to make it obvious in front of the others. He silently cursed then straightened his shoulders. “Fine, we have a plan” He pointed at Miss Black. “Your training starts this afternoon to give McKay enough time to upload the necessary programmes, you will not head out until we are all satisfied that you are ready. And your first run is a trial one. You get your arses handed to you and we come at it in a different way. There will also be a deadline where we start looking for you if you don’t come back”

“Sure, how about a month?”

“No”

“Six weeks?”

“Cici Black play nice” Faith grinned at her second.

“Fine” She huffed. “Two weeks. And we’ll take radio’s, trackers, whatever”

“Deal. And try not to blow anything up that isn’t Wraith related, also no stealing stuff, no drinking alien hooch, and no bringing home unsuitable men”

“Yes Dad”  
 

Three weeks later.

Cici swung her sword and watched with satisfaction as the Queen’s head slid off her shoulders. She tapped her radio. “How’s it going ladies?”

Parker’s smooth British accent sounded in her ear. “Good, I love these things, they’re so wonderfully persistent”

Laurie chuckled. “You’re disturbingly violent”

“I believe that is why I’m on Faith’s team”

Cici grinned. “My team now baby. Any left?”

“I’m picking up a few on the lowest level, but there’s something else down there with them”

She frowned. “You sure honey?”

“Please, I’m awesome at this. And closer than you lot are”

“Any specifics?”

“Sorry Ci. There’s something…familiar about it but I can’t get enough of a hold on it” 

“You worried baby?” Cici gestured to Laurie to start moving towards their friends position.

“Um, no. But its making me uncomfortable”

“Ok, hold position, we’re coming Parks. Wait til we’re with you, try to relax”

“Sure”


	8. Chapter Eight

Three weeks later.

Cici swung her sword and watched with satisfaction as the Queen’s head slid off her shoulders. She tapped her radio. “How’s it going ladies?”

Parker’s smooth British accent sounded in her ear. “Good, I love these things, they’re so wonderfully persistent”

Laurie chuckled. “You’re disturbingly violent”

“I believe that is why I’m on Faith’s team”

Cici grinned. “My team now baby. Any left?”

“I’m picking up a few on the lowest level, but there’s something else down there with them”

She frowned. “You sure honey?”

“Please, I’m awesome at this. And closer than you lot are”

“Any specifics?”

“Sorry Ci. There’s something…familiar about it but I can’t get enough of a hold on it” 

“You worried baby?” Cici gestured to Laurie to start moving towards their friends position.

“Um, no. But its making me uncomfortable”

“Ok, hold position, we’re coming Parks. Wait til we’re with you, try to relax”

“Sure”

 

Cici ran, this man may still be weaker than her but he was fast, and his reflexes appeared to be on a level with hers. He was clearing the obstacles in their path with as much ease as she was. She growled quietly, she couldn’t even throw anything at him in case she killed him. He was definitely human, or had been to begin with, they had established that fact back on the Hive. But something had been done to him, or he had done to himself to ensure his survival amongst the Wraith, and now there was something else in there with him. Something that was making him strong and fast, and angry.

On the Hive the three Slayers had managed to eventually track him down and restrain him but the fight that he had put up meant that Ci had made the call to teleport down to the planet they had been orbiting and once on the surface things had gotten messy. The sodden earth beneath Laurie’s feet had given way immediately upon her reappearance and Cici had been forced to drop the man’s arm and make a grab for her. He had reacted quickly, yanking away from Parker’s hold and taking off into the nearby trees. 

She slid slightly and cursed. This place was smelly, and muddy, and wet, why the Wraith were here was beyond her comprehension but that would be for the expedition members to figure out. Her teams mission objective was simple, hunt Wraith, wipe them from the galaxy and this man had been preying on them for what looked like a long time. Cici Black wanted to know how, the why she couldn’t give a shit about.

Picking up her pace she heard Laurie’s running footsteps in the trees off to her left fade slightly. Ci smiled, she was older than the other two which made her naturally stronger but she could feel her power growing nearly everyday now and each yard put between her and the others today brought her comfort. She would be ready if they came fro her friend. Shaking herself from her thoughts she veered suddenly to her right and skidded, catching him as he tried to tackle her, slamming him to the ground. Forcing his head to the side so he wouldn’t suffocate in the mud Cici pinned his legs with hers and gripped his wrists.

She gritted her teeth against his struggles, tightened her grip. “Don’t make me hurt you. Just wanna know how you got here, how you got so strong”

He snarled and tried to buck her off.

“Damn it, who the hell are you?!” Twisting his head he tried to bite her, Cici pushed down the rage and, shifting the hold on his wrists to one of her hands, used the other to flick open her belt and slide it out of its loops. Wrapping it around his hands she tightened it, careful not to cut the skin, and sat back, trying to decide on how to bind his feet. The kicking was getting annoying. 

She looked up as Parker slid to an elegant stop. “Stupid mud”

Ci grinned. “Belt baby” She gestured to the man’s feet.

The younger Slayer grinned back. “Sure, nice work”

“You too”

“I was like a mile behind you”

“Yeah, I’m awesome”

Parker snorted and wrapped her own belt around his ankles before moving in front of him and crouching down. “You’re pretty awesome too. Who are you?”

Cici rose and moved next to her, examining his face. “He’s not talking” They both raised their gazes as Laurie slowed to a jog before coming to a stop next to them, hands on her knees. “Nice of you to join us Slayer”

She was flipped off. “I did most of the work on the Hive by the way”

“Bullshit”

Laurie rolled her eyes. “So, whoever he is we can safely say he’s pretty impressive” She looked thoughtful. “Maybe we could recruit him?”

“He’s a little crazy”

“Our leader is insane”

Cici scowled. “Fuck you” The man on the ground managed to raise himself enough to expose his chest, yelling incoherently. She peered closer. “Well, fuck me”

“You need to stop saying ‘fuck’ so much. It makes Sheppard twitch”

“In all the wrong places” Cici grinned at their gagging gestures before reaching forward, raising the snarling man’s head by his hair and tugging sharply at the piece of metal that had caught her eye. The chain snapped easily and she held it up, letting it spin slowly.

Parker gave a low whistle. “Marine”

“Jesus” Laurie leant down to look into his eyes. “What the hell happened to you soldier?”

He’d fallen silent, his one good eye following the still rotating dogtag as he twitched on the ground. Cici sighed quietly. “He has to be one of Sheppard’s men. Shit”

“We take him back hon?”

She shook her head. “He could have a chip, like Ro’s. Or have some kind of virus or something. Too risky to take him straight back”

“Agreed” Parker nodded. “He’ll need watching”

Cici stood. “Laurie and I stay, Parks you head back to the city with his tags. This is our first trip out, they could be suspicious” The other two nodded. “Tell them exactly what happened baby, they’ll know what they need to bring. And reiterate just how fucking filthy it is here. They may need Hazmats”

The younger Slayer snorted. “Sure…” 

All three of them turned their gazes to the sky a second before the first whine of the Darts started. On the floor the soldier began to thrash about and scream.  
 

“It’s Cici’s IDC Sir”

John nodded resignedly, today marked exactly two weeks since the Slayers had shipped out on their first mission. She was going to be so fucking smug. “Notify Mrs McKay” He jogged down the steps as Faith stepped out of the transporter. He raised a brow.

“I was right by one when Chuck radioed me” She grinned. “They’re awesome”

John rolled his eyes at her then turned as the three women stepped back onto the city, all thoughts of Miss Black’s timekeeping being wiped away as he took them in. “Holy shit, what the hell happened to you?” He was unceremoniously flipped off by all three as he tried not to grin at their appearance. The Slayers were caked in mud, soaked hair flat to their heads and Parker was missing a sleeve to her jacket. He frowned. “You hurt?”

The smaller girl shook her head. “No, as long as you don’t count our pride”

Faith sighed. “You get your arses handed to you baby?”

Cici glared at her. “No, at least not like you think”

John raised a brow. “I’m intrigued. Med check, shower then debrief. No dawdling”

“Old people say dawdling” 

“Bite me. Now shift”

“Only if you ask nicely” Cici grinned though the mud at him before looking serious. “Actually I’d prefer to debrief now. Once I’m showered I’m fully intending to pass out for twenty four hours and you need to hear this”

“I’m getting a bad feeling Miss Black” He felt his stomach turn as he was met only with a slightly sad smile. “Right, shit. Ok, lets go. Ladies first” He gestured up the stairs before reaching to his earpiece to summon the rest of his team.

 

Cici rubbed at the swipe of drying mud on her cheek before taking a sip of coffee. “Heaven” she murmured. Placing her mug gently back on the table she straightened. John braced himself. “We encountered two Hives whilst we were away. The Wraith themselves presented few problems, they are proficient fighters but no match for Slayers. It seems they rely heavily on their stunners when going up against enemies, or prey”

He eyed them. “You emptied two Hives? In two weeks?”

She nodded. “Yes”

“All of them?”

“Yep” She took another sip of coffee and hummed quietly.

“Well, fuck me”

Cici smiled at him over her mug. “If you like” He gaped at her.

“Cecilia!” Faith pointed at her. “Remember who you’re talking to”

“Fine. If you like Sir”

John gathered himself and grinned back, hoping he wasn’t flushing. “Yeah, no thanks sweetheart” He waved a hand towards her. “That look is not doing it for me”

“Colonel” Woolsey shot him a pointed look. “Perhaps this can be saved for outside of the briefing room”

He gave the glowering, and very dirty, Slayer a quick smirk for good measure then sat back, grabbing his own mug. “She started it” He muttered.

Cici rolled her eyes. “Anyway, as I was saying before I was rudely interrupted…” John stuck his tongue out at her from behind his drink. “We were doing a last sweep of the second Hive when Parks picked something up on one of the lower levels, not Wraith but she couldn’t get a proper read on it. We regrouped and resumed the hunt”

“They take human prisoners” 

All three shook their heads at Ro but it was Parker who spoke up. “We didn’t find any prisoners on either Hive. It was all Wraith up until that point. Humans are the most recognisable track for me, for obvious reasons, and that was what threw me. Like it was familiar but at the same time completely unlike anything I’d encountered before”

The Satedan nodded his understanding. John started thinking this was going to lead somewhere he didn’t like very much. “What do you mean ‘threw you’?”

Parker smiled slightly. “What we found was human, at some point”

He set his mug down. “It wasn’t um, bug-like was it?” There was a quiet cough and he narrowed his gaze at his 2IC.

“Um, no” Cici frowned. “But I am totally hearing about that later”

“Never”

“Uh huh” She waved a hand. “Anyway, there was nothing bug-like about him”

“Him?”

“Oh yes, most definitely a him. And still human shaped, from what we could tell under the layers of clothing and dirt, and crazy hair” She tapped the side of her mug. “But the way he moved….it took us nearly an hour to track him and we took a few hits trying to restrain him too. He was strong, fast…” She sighed. “Walking or carrying him to the Dart bay could have led to grave injury to him, or to us. And we didn’t know how much time we had before another curious Hive showed up and we were at the end of our reserves. As awesome as Slayers are it is very important that we rest between battles, and eat. Our high calorie intake feeds our very high metabolism which in turn keeps our body’s sufficiently fuelled. We burn a lot of energy, even resting”

He flicked a glance at Faith who nodded gently. “Ci is right, and being surprisingly sensible” She grinned at the rolled eyes. “Once our body realises its not getting fed enough it starts to redirect the limited supplies of nutrients, sending them inwards to our organs. A hungry Slayer is a grumpy one, a starving Slayer will be cold, shaky and a hell of a lot weaker”

John nodded. “Noted”

Cic cleared her throat. “From what we could tell he was hunting Wraith too, and making a pretty decent job of it despite looking like a cross between a wild animal and a homeless man. I wanted to know how” She crossed her legs under her in her chair and grabbed her mug again. “We teleported down. The Hive had been in orbit over an uninhabited planet, one that we had arrived on completely by chance, so we knew it had a gate and there was no danger from the now empty ship. Unfortunately we hadn’t realised just how marsh-like the entire planet’s surface was, when we reappeared the ground fell away from Laurie and I had to let go of our prisoner to stop her from disappearing down a giant sink-hole”

“This is what I mean about teleportation Ci” Faith was frowning, hand resting on her stomach. “You need to be careful”

“The chances of it happening again are like a billion to one Faith. It was just bad luck. If we’d landed in a Dart the whole ship could have gone crashing down” Ci raised a brow. “I make the calls now, it falls on me ok?”

Faith rubbed her bump. “I don’t like it”

“Tough shit, you got knocked up”

“True” Laurie nodded.

“Veering off topic people” Lorne had swung his chair round to face them as they spoke. “I take it your prisoner escaped?”

“Only temporarily” Cici shot him a challenging look. “However our appearance is in part due to the fact we had to take a nice five mile sprint through a very muddy, soggy forest”

“You catch him?”

“Duh” She grinned. “After making sure he wasn’t going anywhere fast, and waiting for Laurie to catch up…”

“Fuck you”

“We decided to send Parks back to the city leaving us two standing guard. We weren’t sure if he was implanted with a chip or carrying some nasty diseases, didn’t want to risk bringing him here”

“Good call”

“I have done this kind of thing before you know Colonel”

“Could have fooled me”

“Bite me”

“No thank you”

The homicidal blonde gave him a look that promised retribution before continuing her story. “Unfortunately right at that moment Darts started appearing overhead”

“Thought you cleared the Hive?”

“We did, this must have been another one, maybe they’d planned to rendezvous there or it had picked up an emergency beacon or something. Anyway, thats for me to never care about” Cici sighed. “The Wraith started beaming down, between them, the Darts and the strain of the last few hours our escape was not guaranteed, especially carrying our new friend, he was flipping out, hurting himself on the restraints we’d put round his wrists and ankles. Trying to move him, keep his arse safe, our arses safe and get back to the gate just wasn’t doable”

“You freed him?” Teyla was watching them curiously.

“Yes” Laurie shrugged. “We figured he’d survived this long, he probably had a better chance than we did. We tried to keep track of him, he had some good evasion tactics going on, and there were a few brief moments when it seemed we were all working together against the Wraith then all of a sudden he made this strange howling noise and lept straight into a Dart’s beam”

John pushed away the memory.

“We made the decision to follow him” Cici shrugged. “But there were no more Darts”

“What?” Lorne was frowning.

“There were no more Darts” Cici raised a brow. “Its a simple statement”

He raised a brow back. “You telling me as soon as they had this guy they just disappeared. Left behind the people that had slaughtered all their friends?”

“Maybe they didn’t like them? Maybe we saved them the job?” She shrugged again. “Anyway, whatever the reason they fucked off and left us waist high in mud in the pissing rain, minus one prisoner”

“Cici?” She turned to look at him. John leant his forearms on the table, fingers lacing together. “Why did I need to hear this straight away?” 

She matched his position. “Because, Colonel, that man came from your city”

He ignored the flare in his chest. “Ancient?”

“Marine”

He swallowed. “His eyes?”

“One crazy, one black”

He brought his still laced hands up to his mouth, puffed out a breath. “Ford” He whispered.

“How long since he went missing?”

His 2IC answered for him, their voices fading into the background. “Long enough to be pronounced ‘missing presumed dead’. Are you sure?”

“We caught a look at his tags”

 

John stood and looked over the ocean, he took a pull on the stolen cigarette. He didn’t indulge much anymore, out here he had to be fit, outrun whatever was trying to kill him that day but there was something about the burn down his throat that always relaxed him. 

“Those things will kill you, you know?”

He snorted quietly. “Them and half of Pegasus” He snuck a look at her side profile as she joined him at the railings. 

There was a faint smile. “I will find him”

He returned his eyes to the water. “Is that so?”

“Yes”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t like losing”

“The fight?”

“Yes, and other things”

He took another pull.

“Of course, he’s fucking nuts now”

“And there she is”

She gave a quiet laugh before turning to him, he swung to face her. A chain hung from her outstretched fingers. “Here”

John eyed them. “I thought you only caught a glimpse”

“They belong with you. It is up to you what happens to them”

He held his hand out, the cool metal dropping like a stone into his palm. He curled his fingers around it, refusing to rub away at the mud. “Thank you”

She nodded, turning back to the view. “I will find him”

“I know”

“He recognised those Colonel, when I showed them to him. We all have our triggers. The marine is still in there somewhere, and that marine deserves to come home”

He finished his cigarette and flicked it over the railings. “What happened to you Cecilia?”

“A lot of things John”

He smiled slightly as he heard the door slide shut a moment later, the ball chain imprinting his palm as he squeezed his gift tighter.


	9. Chapter Nine

One week later. Cheyenne Mountain.

Jack sighed as his phone rang, what part of ‘no calls’ did these people not understand. He picked up the receiver. “O’Neill”

“I’m sorry to disturb you Sir, I know you said no interruptions but, um..” He frowned, his newly acquired secretary sounded a little thrown. In the month they’d been working together she hadn’t even battered a very elegant mascaraed eyelash at the more unusual happenings the base seemed to bring, he had an unspoken suspicion she was some kind of robot planted by Landry.

“It’s ok Miss Hendricks, please..”

“Um, I have someone on the phone called Mr Giles. He says he is from an agency that you were requesting information about, regarding a Faith Lehane”

A brow shot up. Something had been bothering Jack about that little incident but he hadn’t been able to pinpoint what, and he trusted Sheppard, the man wouldn’t still be running Atlantis if not, but still…”Put him through Miss Hendricks. No interruptions”

“Yes Sir”

There was a click and a moments silence before a clipped British accent sounded in his ear. “General Jack O’Neill?”

“Speaking” He leant back in his chair. “I’m impressed you got this number Mr Giles”

There was a pause. “It seems we both have friends in high places”

Jack rolled his eyes. “Perhaps. How can I help you?”

“You were inquiring about one of our..operatives a little over three weeks ago”

“I was?” He got the funny feeling he was being eye-rolled back.

“Did you locate Miss Lehane?”

Jack frowned. “I wasn’t looking for Miss Lehane, one of own personnel went missing, her name came up in connection with his. However he was found safe and sound only twelve hours later. She wasn’t involved”

Another seconds silence. “And his name?”

“I’m afraid that is classified, the work we do here is very important and opens up risks”

“And yet you were told Faith’s”

“But I was not asking for it Mr Giles, her being mentioned was merely a coincidence. Her existence wasn’t even known to us before that day” He was really beginning to not like this man. “Now, if that’ll be all..”

“I’m afraid not General” There was a quiet sigh. “We obviously both work for top secret and highly paranoid organisations, which means we could spend the next year having incredibly frustrating conversations like this one. Is the man who went missing in your close vicinity?”

Jack eyed the gate through the glass wall of his office. “I think we can safely say no to that one”

“Right” He could hear the quiet tapping of a pen against paper. “Then perhaps I could ask you to pass a message onto him?”

“You could ask”

“Are you sure you’re a General?”

Jack flipped off the receiver. “Last time I checked”

“Do you want to check again?”

“Just give me the damn message Mr Giles”

There was another bout of silence. Jack fought the urge to check over his shoulder. “Very well. I believe this man was close to Miss Lehane?”

“There was a previous relationship. Although I was given to understand it ended a long time ago” Like hell this guy was extracting anything more out of him.

“Then…would you please inform him that to our great sadness Miss Lehane passed away last week. She was killed along with her team whilst on a…mission”

“A mission?”

“I’m afraid that is all I can say General. If the relationship did end some time ago it may not be of great consequence to him but we will be holding a small ceremony tomorrow at noon, Three Trees Chapel in LA”

Jack frowned. “If you knew she was dead what was all that about?”

“All what?”

He glared at the phone. “Did you locate her blah, blah, blah”

Mr Giles cleared his throat. “Ah well, we like to try to trace our operatives movements between our last contact with them and any trouble they run into. It was merely to confirm whether she had been in your company”

“Right” Jack stared through the glass thoughtfully. “Well, I’m sorry I couldn’t help you Mr Giles. And my deepest sympathy about the loss of your people, it never gets easier”

There was another sigh. “No, it really doesn’t”

 

Rodney stepped through the gate and back onto the city. He had been reluctant to leave his wife but Faith had insisted he resume his normal duties, as she’d said others lives didn’t stop because of her and the city still needed it’s residents to keep doing what they were doing. And his was important work, and at least on that point he had agreed. He’d felt uneasy though, with the rest of her team already back out on their second run and him off-world he worried there’d be no one to watch over her. She was still so tired.

He raised his head as Mr Woolsey jogged down the steps, the man nodded. “Welcome home AR-1”

“Good to be back” The Colonel shot him a smile, unclipping his P90.

“Anything to report?”

“Nope” Sheppard shrugged out of his vest. “Lots of trees, fresh air”

“Ok” Mr Woolsey was frowning slightly.

“Everything ok Richard?”

The Expedition Leader sighed. “I..I’m not sure. We need to speak, all of your team if you can”

Rodney felt his stomach start to swirl and he must have paled because Woolsey suddenly focused on him. “Your wife is fine Dr McKay, please don’t worry”

He nodded. “Ok, thank you”

“But this could be important” Woolsey gestured to the stairs. “Please..”

Following Teyla up the steps he still couldn’t shake the feeling that he wasn’t going to like this. Taking a seat a moment later between the Colonel and Ronan he placed his shaking hands in his lap, hiding them from view. Ever since Faith had come here it had felt like he was waiting, perhaps it was for this.

“I made the decision not to have Mrs McKay here, I hope you will understand in a minute”

Rodney frowned at him. “What is going on?”

“Easy McKay” Murmured John.

“Don’t you tell me to take it easy” Rodney glared at him.

The Colonel did his best ‘I am the Commander’ stare and waved for Woolsey to continue.

The man cleared his throat. “Thank you Colonel. Earth dialled in an hour ago, O’Neill wanted to pass on some information”

“Shit”

“Rodney” Another look from the Colonel.

“Um” Woolsey checked his tablet. “Last night he received a call from a Mr Giles, it seems this man works for, and is probably quite high up in, the Council”

Rodney swallowed down the bile. “Oh God”

“For now it is nothing to worry about, at least on that front. The General is still unaware of their name and what they do. They had heard about O’Neill’s enquiries into Faith and contacted him whilst they were trying to trace her movements. It seems this is something they do whenever an operative, uh, runs into trouble”

“Trouble?” Echoed Rodney.

“Your wife’s plan appears to have worked, they believe she and the other girls were killed. They were merely attempting to put together a timeline that led to the uh, tragedy”

“Ok” John frowned. “So, what’s the problem?”

“Well, firstly this contact seems to have piqued O’Neill’s curiosity. I also got the impression he didn’t much like this Mr Giles. The funeral was held at noon today, the General wanted to pass on his apology that the mountain’s ZPM wasn’t sufficiently charged to allow Dr McKay to attend”

“Another handy incident”

“I agree Colonel, it certainly would have raised suspicions if Rodney was reluctant to attend his own wife’s funeral, or if he was less than suitably upset”

“I can do upset”

“You suck at covert ops”

Rodney flipped off John.

“However if we could discover your marriage to Faith then I am sure these people would have as well, even if you were separated for the months after your vacation they could still become curious”

“Crap” Rodney chewed his lip.

“Also O’Neill has asked that you return to Earth tomorrow”

They all gaped at him. “You what?”

“He wants to talk to Dr McKay about Faith and the people she worked for, he really doesn’t sound keen on them. He also wants a verbal report of your time missing rather than a written one”

“I told you to get on that Rodney”

“I’ve been a little busy Colonel” Rodney glared at his friend. “And O’Neill hates reports, theres like a three year backlog on his desk”

“Yes, of the boring ones. The man can sniff out a good read like a fucking bloodhound” John ran a hand through his hair. “Shit”

“It’ll be fine, all I have to do is repeat the story you gave him”

“Really? You can do that face to face with the General can you?”

Rodney stared at him. “Uh, yes?”

“Shit”

“Um, there is also one other point I wanted to discuss” Woolsey suddenly looked a little nervous. Rodney felt a little more sick. “They held funerals”

“Well, yes” Rodney eyed him. “That is tradition when people die”

The man narrowed his gaze. “Burials Dr McKay, with actual bodies to bury”

“So?” He twisted his head to look at John as the man cursed quietly. “What? What?!”

“Bodies Rodney” John fixed him with a look. “They buried bodies”

He stared at him. He was tired and now he was stressed, and he wanted to go find Faith which altogether meant his brain wasn’t working. “I..I don’t understand”

“Who were the bodies?”

Rodney continued to stare at John who raised a brow. He looked at the faces of his friends. Then he closed his eyes briefly. “No, no they wouldn’t..”

“Rodney..” He opened them and forced himself to look at the other man. “..you need to think about this. Either the people we have here aren’t who they say they are, or they replaced themselves with four other people, girls..”

“No” He scowled at him before turning back to Woolsey. “Faith is Faith, and she wouldn’t lie to me”

“So the only other option..”

“No. Slayer’s don’t take human life”

“Faith did”

“It was an accident!” Rodney took a breath, fingers curling into his palms. “She didn’t mean to, it was an accident, one that still haunts her. She still has fucking nightmares about it for fuck’s sake..”

“Rodney..”

He waved a hand. “He shouldn’t have been there, and Faith was only seventeen” Rodney sighed. “When she told me about it she said that Slayer’s don’t take human lives, it twists them, forces them over into the dark. And they can’t risk that, they’re too powerful”

“Did she go over to the…dark?”

“For a while. But she’s repented, saved the world a hundred times over, Faith paid the price and now she deserves..well, not to be hunted down by her own people and have accusations thrown at her without being able to defend herself”

“It has to be discussed”

Rodney stood and faced the Colonel. “And you’re damn lucky Cici isn’t here to listen to this shit, she may not be able to kill you but she sure as hell would make you pay for even thinking it”

John stood. “Now, McKay..”

“Don’t you now McKay me. Do you know how many times I’ve taken your word on faith? All those times when I’ve put myself in danger without once questioning your ability, the trust I have for you”

The Colonel’s jaw twitched. “Rodney this isn’t about you, the trust I have for you, this is about people I’ve known for a month. I like them, I really do, and I know you love Faith but..they’re hiding things Rodney. And there is so much about their world we don’t understand. What if this Council are the good guys huh?”

“You’re asking me to choose?”

“No, to listen”

“I’ve heard enough” Rodney pointed at him. “You have no idea what they…well, what they do and the people they are. And ok maybe Cici scares the shit out of me and she once threatened to make me feel pain everyday for the rest of my life..” John rose a brow. “..but the point is she doesn’t, and she said it because she loves Faith and she’s loyal, and kind, in a strange twisted way. And Laurie and Parker camped out in a scummy motel for six weeks whilst they were looking for me. It didn’t even have cable…” He trailed off, trying to recapture his point. “Well, now I’ve forgotten what I was working up to say but…well, the point is they may be hunters and killers but they’re not…murderers”

John stared at him. “You suck at speeches”

“Oh for..” Rodney threw his hands up. “I’m going to find my wife” He waggled his finger at the people round the table. “My non-evil wife. And then I’m going to figure out what the hell to say to O’Neill tomorrow” He stalked over to the door. “AND IF ANYONE WANTS TO HELP ME WITH THAT I’LL BE VERY GRATEFUL!” As he ran down the steps towards the transporter he winced internally, he did suck at speeches.  
 

John turned back to the room. “Um, right, that went well”

Ronan grinned. “They’re the good guys”

“Expert are we?”

“Yes”

He flipped him off and retook his seat. “And you couldn’t have contributed earlier? Before the shouting..” John rubbed his chest where Rodney had jabbed his finger into it. “And the poking”

The Satedan shrugged. “It was…entertaining”

John rolled his eyes. “No more hanging out with the Slayers” Ronan continued to grin at him.

“I think Ronan is right John” Teyla smiled at him. “It is easy to, as you say, jump to conclusions especially when you consider the Slayers power and their lifestyle but I have never seen or sensed anything to concern me. Their manners may be lacking but their hearts are full, and placed where they should be”

“I want to believe that Tey”

“You do, otherwise you would not have let Rodney leave”

“Letting Rodney leave is my favourite pastime”

“You cover your fondness for him with insults”

He screwed up his face. “I am not fond of McKay”

“Yeah you are”

“Shut up Ronan”

“Um..” They looked at Richard who raised a brow. “So, what do we do?”

John sighed. “We talk to Faith, if she doesn't come storming in here calling for our blood in the next five minutes. And when the others get back they’ll need to answer the same questions, whether they like it or not” He ran a hand through his hair. “But for now someone had better get working on a speech for Rodney”

   
“Hey, home already?” Faith smiled up at her husband as he appeared in the bedroom doorway. She looked him over. “What’s wrong?”

Rodney sighed quietly and sat in the small chair by the desk, bending to unlace his boots. “I don’t know if I should tell you”

“Because I’ll be mad?” She grabbed another pillow and pushed it in behind her. Without her heightened stamina and healing Faith was struggling, not that she’d admit that to Rodney. Dr Keller had assured her it was normal for women so far along in their pregnancies, especially with the trauma her body suffered when they’d tried to take the baby but it wasn’t something she was used to. She could feel the frustration building, had declined to watch her team leave the second time, hating sending them out alone.

“Maybe” He toed off his second boot. “And I don’t want you stressed, or worried”

“Well, now I’m worried baby. What happened? Did one of you get hurt?”

Rodney shook his head. “No, there was nothing there except for a shit load of trees”

“Sometimes its nice to only encounter a shit load of trees”

He shot her a quick smile. “Yeah”

“So?” She watched as he moved over to the drinks station, flicking on the kettle. He had insisted on moving a little of everything she may need into their bedroom for the times when he wasn’t around and she wasn’t feeling up to dragging herself to the mess, or even the living area. Faith had protested, weakly, each time he did something like that it made the warmth grow a little more in her chest.

He pulled the top off the pot Teyla had brought to her, snagging one of the small muslin bags and dropping it into a mug. The taste had taken some getting used to but the tea really did ease her aches and pains, soothing over her frayed nerves for long enough to get some much needed sleep.  
Rodney poured the boiling water into the mugs, steam rising, the smell of the tea filling their room. “Woolsey asked to speak to us when we got back” He turned, moving towards the bed and placing her mug on the small side table. “One of your ex-bosses has been in touch with O’Neill”

Faith closed her eyes, fighting down the panic, her stomach started to roll and she didn’t need her Slayer senses to tell her that her body temperature was rising. She heard his voice come from far away. “Faith?..Faith, sweetheart please, you need to stay calm. Faith?!”  
 

Laurie turned as she realised that her friend was no longer by her side. Cici was leaning against the wall of the Hive, eyes closed, breathing deeply. She hurried back. “Hon, Ci you hear me?” A hand was waved before one finger got held up to signal she needed a minute. Laurie shuffled from foot to foot, sending out a message to Parker to get the hell back here. The older Slayer was pale and shaking, eyes still closed, fingers beginning to form dents in the wall she was using for support. At least they had emptied this ship, were on a final sweep before making for the nearest gate. She didn’t bother to look round as the familiar footsteps neared.

“Laurie?” Parker was frowning, eyes widening as she took in the sight of their usually unflappable leader having what appeared to be a panic attack.

“I don’t know babe, I just looked round for her and there she was” Laurie chewed her lip, this had not been part of the training. “We’ll give her five then I’m getting us straight back to the city. No gates”

“Faith said we shouldn’t risk the teleportation, she was pissed after last week”

“You want to leave her like this?” Laurie gestured to the still hyperventilating young woman. “If she can’t bring herself down she could get really sick, she can hardly breathe”

“SHE is right here” The words were ground out but Cici was now looking directly at them, albeit from a hunched over position.

“And SHE is freaking me out Ci, what the hell?”

“I don’t know” Cici realised her grip on the wall, both hands resting on her knees instead as she pulled in air. “I was..it just hit me. I thought I was going to throw up, or pass out. It was paralysing. Shit”

“And there was nothing before?”

“No” She shook her head. “I..just give me a minute to think. Shit, shit”

“Hey its ok. Catch your breath and we’ll go back to Atlantis early, get you checked”

“I’m not sick”

“Ci..”

The older Slayer straightened up, with only some slight grimacing. She rolled her shoulders. “A minute”

Laurie stood by Parker watching their leader and friend cautiously, Cici seemed to be recovering quickly but was still a little pale, and lost somewhere in her own thoughts. She smiled slightly, people thought Ci was dumb because she was blonde and kinda spoilt, liked the finer things, ignored anything that could potentially bore her to death (her words) but in there was a sharp mind, and a steel-trap memory that allowed her to hold grudges for all eternity if you pissed her off enough. The older girl licked her lips, eyes refocusing, Laurie fought the urge to step back as that gaze landed on her. “Ci..”

“It was Faith. I need to be in the city now”

“Teleportation..”

“Worth the risk” Cici nodded and disappeared in a flash of green that only the two other girls could see, if there were any Wraith left alive to not see it.  
 

John stared up at the Slayer on his briefing table, and what seemed to be a highly pissed off Slayer at that. There also appeared to be bits of Wraith stuck in her hair. Cici looked down. “Ah, a slight miscalculation”

“I agree, get off my table”

Her head snapped round and fiery blue locked with his own eyes, he refused to acknowledge the smallest hint of a growl that echoed round the room. “Faith..”

“Right here baby girl” Mrs McKay gave a small wave. “You can calm down, and probably get off the table”

Cici released him from her death stare and blinked at Faith. “You were…in pain”

John collected himself and frowned. ‘You can feel that…”

Faith waved him quiet. “My own fault. And I wasn’t hurt, just…a little worried”

“A little worried?!” Unfortunately the Slayer on his table used the hand that still held her sword to point at Faith with. “I..”

Rodney stood. “Get down from there! And no waving swords in the vicinity of my wife, and unborn child. What the hell…?!” He became momentarily distracted as Laurie and Parker snapped into existence beside Woolsey.

John pinched the bridge of his nose. Crazy arse Slayers, they were driving him slowly mad…der.

“I couldn’t even breathe Faith” Cici thankfully lowered her sword but she still stood in the middle of the briefing table like some kind of vengeful warrior Goddess. “That is not worried. That was a fucking panic attack!”

Faith stood and folded her arms across her chest. She fixed her own eyes on Cici’s and for a moment John swore he saw something spark. “Get down” The two Slayer’s stared at each for a moment before Cici nodded and walked to the edge of the table, taking Ronan’s hand as she stepped off. Faith pointed at her. “Now sit down..” Her finger swung to the other two. “And you. And then you will listen”

He leant over to her as she retook her seat and mock whispered in her ear. “Can you teach me how to do that?”

Faith snorted quietly as Cici glowered at them from her chair. “You’re nearly there Colonel” She then totally threw him off by winking at him before turning back to the table in general. “There are other things we need to discuss but now you are all here, and what did I say about teleportation..” Cici narrowed her gaze, Faith ignored it. “..we may as well ease their fears about our little faked death”

“Fears?” Laurie was looking between them, her brow furrowed.

“Our funerals were held yesterday..”

“Damn, I so wanted to go”

“Shut up Ci” Faith shot her a look. “And we need to explain why they believe we are dead and how they had bodies to bury that were able to convince them enough we are truly gone”

There was a hiss of breath, Cici was looking angry again. “They think we…how dare you?”

“Cecilia, its a natural suspicion”

“It’s bloody rude, and I should know. I’ve practically made it a lifestyle”

“We’d noticed” John eyed her. “And you were very quick on the uptake Miss Black”

“I’m not a fucking idiot Colonel”

“And yet you appear to think I am”

She smirked at him. “I didn’t like to say”

“That’s enough!” Rodney was glaring at them. “This isn’t a bloody playground. I can’t believe I defended you”

“Ah, how sweet”

“Ci! Quit it” Faith was looking pale again. “I don’t need bitching, I already told you”

“He started it”

“Did not”

“Did too”

“Please!” Now Woolsey was looking angry, something pretty new to John. “We just need an explanation, you are helping us with our enemy and you are becoming good friends but you must remember for exactly how long we have known you, bar Dr McKay”

“I take it from Faith’s little episode you’ve already been harassing her about it?” John looked at Parker in surprise, in the short time he’d known the Slayers he had identified her as the peacekeeper, the one who only waded in if necessary and usually with cookies rather than yelled threats.

“No they haven’t honey” Faith smiled at her. “As I said that was my fault. Rodney was just trying to explain and I panicked, wouldn’t let him finish”

John’s gaze slid to Cici again, she was studying Dr McKay with a strange look on her face. Then she nodded. “Ok, he wouldn’t have let them badger her, even if he is a bit wet” John bit his lip, trying not to meet Ronan’s eyes.

“One day I’m just going to shoot you” Rodney glared at her. “But thank you, kind of”

“Don’t get used to it” Cici smiled at him then her expression turned serious. “I will explain, Faith should be resting. Even I fancy a lay down after that”

“I’m fine”

“Shut up” In another weird twist of roles Faith kept quiet and settled back in her chair, wrapping her hands around the mug of coffee her husband had poured her. Cici nodded. “Back on Earth we sometimes hunted a creature called a Shifter. They are very strong and fast, even Slayers go after them in teams and we never send out the newbies. Shifters only need to touch you once, although they generally prefer to kill you, then they have the memory of you stored in their DNA. They can walk, talk and look like you, even down to old injuries, scars and whether your teeth are all yours”

“And you replaced yourself with four of these Shifters?” Teyla was looking at her with interest.

“Yes. It took some doing, like I said they’re real powerful and then we had to find a way to bind them to our image and our image alone”

“Then you killed them?”

“Yes” Cici fixed John with another look, he suppressed the desire to shiver. “It solved a lot of our problems, and we did the world a favour believe me”

“And any x-rays etc would show everything the Council would be expecting to see?”

“Yes” Laurie nodded. “I had my appendix removed. The one who was supposed to me would even bear that mark, and have no appendix”

“Bloody hell” Richard tipped back in his chair. “These things would become very popular very quickly if certain agencies found out about their existence”

“Make sure yours isn’t one of them Mr Woolsey” Cici raised a brow. “Theres a reason that a lot of what we do is hidden, and you’ve just stated one of the top five”

John took a sip of coffee. “I’ll say. You could replace world leaders, influential military figures, or you could snatch someone and the world would never know”

“Just the tip of the fucked up iceberg, but you’ve got the idea” Cici smiled at him. “If you want proof I can go back to Earth, bring a Shifter here. We don’t want to live under a cloud of suspicion on the city, and whilst Parker, Laurie and I could very well find somewhere else through the gate it is important that Faith remain here”

John looked at Woolsey who merely raised a brow. He sighed, coward. “You can’t risk going back, and I don’t want one of those things anywhere near my city if they really are that powerful, and exist” He dodged the pencil thrown at him and grinned at Cici. “This is done with, unless I find out you’re lying..”

She nodded. “I understand”

“Would it enter the Council’s head for you to do something like that?”

This time Faith sighed. “We don’t know. Obviously they would know it was possible but they always underestimated us, I kept a lot of my sources and assets hidden”

“As is proper” Cici smirked at her as Faith flipped her off.

“But it was a tough part of the plan, they may not even consider it. I nearly backed out”

“It was dangerous?”

“Yes”

“Not for you” Cic grinned at her. “You sat on your arse at home, eating cake”

“Hilarious” Faith rolled her eyes. “My girls got hurt a lot but I believe it was worth it”

“Yeah, cause you did bugger all”

“Lived didn’t you?” Faith grinned back.

“Just” Cici rolled her eyes. “Unlike my outfits”

“I told you to go naked”

John quietly spat his coffee back into his mug.

“It was like minus five!”

“You’d have warmed up once the hitting started”

“And euw, naked with a Shifter” Cici wrinkled her nose. “Gross”

“Uh huh” Laurie nodded. “It was bad enough when I lost my pants”

Someone cleared their throat. They all turned to Woolsey who seemed to be doing his best to stay professional, and not blush. “Maybe we should move on to the next item? Dr McKay’s visit to Earth and his impending meeting with the General”

“Well, that can’t be good”

“Hey!” Rodney scowled at Cici. “I’ll have you know I’m an excellent liar”

“You chew your lip, play with your hair AND tug on your t-shirt”

“No I don’t” He looked round. Teyla was tactfully examining her hands, Ronan was grinning, as was Woolsey. “Oh come on!”

“I’m sorry baby” Faith patted his hand. “But you really do”

John tried not to laugh and nodded silently.

His friend sighed. “Crap”

“Ooh, what about a Shifter?”

“No” John pointed at Parker.

She rolled her eyes. “Ci is right, you’re mean, and kinda boring”

“Yeah well, Ci is a massive pain in the arse”

“Thanks” She smiled at him, he flipped her off.

Twenty minutes later and so far into an incredibly disturbing conversation about how to make McKay a better liar that John wanted to stuff his socks into his ears Cici slipped round the table to sit next to him. He raised a brow. She leant in, keeping her voice low. “Do you trust this O’Neill?”

He nodded. “Usually”

“Perhaps we should consider the truth, or at least some of it?”

“After everything you did to keep it hidden?”

“It can’t be helped” She sighed quietly, a puff of air over his throat. “I swore to keep Faith safe, never let them near her again as long as I live and I will still honour that” He stared into what, for a fleeting moment, were the saddest eyes he’d ever seen. Then she blinked. “And your friend is a sucky liar”

His lips twitched. “Ok”

“Ok” She sat back and seemed to miraculously look like she’d been part of the other conversation for the past thirty seconds.

John leant in again. “Did Laurie really lose her pants?”

“Hey!” The younger Slayer was glaring at him across the table, and they really did have excellent hearing.

“Yeah”

“Cici!”

“I have pictures”

“Awesome”

“I’m gonna kill you!”


	10. Chapter Ten

Teyla sighed and opened her eyes. “Cecilia please sit still”

The Slayer cracked open an eye. “I am”

“No, you are not. I can hear you”

Cici squirmed a little. “The floor is hard, and this is very boring”

Teyla raised a brow. “You must learn to centre yourself, meditation will help calm your mind, focus your thoughts”

“Right, and I need to do that because?”

“It will make you a more efficient warrior, help you to cope with the consequences of your work and channel your gifts. Hopefully it shall also lessen your ability to make John angry”

The young woman grinned at her. “But it’s fun”

“Not for John, nor everybody else” Teyla gave her a pointed look. “You are now the leader of your team, you have people who rely on you and since you have kindly volunteered to be present at Rodney’s meeting tomorrow I thought it would be helpful to you to begin today. You will not have long to speak with our friend’s leader, he shall not have the time we have had to grow accustomed to your…ways”

Cici quirked a smile.”My ways?”

“You know what I mean Slayer, it is time to grow up”

“Boring”

“Yet inevitable for all of us”

She sighed. “I do not want to grow up”

“It does not require you to become boring” Teyla smiled. “Merely to learn how to behave in certain situations and to take responsibility for your words and actions. I would not wish for you to change any more than that, you are a bright presence, it would be a shame to quash that part of you”

“Are you coming on to me?”

A brow raised. “No”

“Oh, pity” Cici grinned at her again. “Are you sure?”

“I am not the one you desire”

“You’re pretty”

“Thank you. However I stand by my previous statement”

“Have you always been this frustrating?”

“I believe so”

Cici sighed and leant her elbows on the gym mat, propping her chin in her hands. “I don’t desire anyone” Teyla smiled at her. “I don’t. I can’t anyway”

“Why?”

“It’s…complicated. And I have my team, like you say that’s a lot of responsibility and I need to take care of Faith”

“She has Rodney now. It does not make you obsolete but the duty should have lessened” She watched the younger woman curiously, it wasn’t often you got a sensible, and morose, Cecelia Black. “There are things you keep hidden?”

“We all have those”

“True” Teyla reached forward and pushed a strand of hair away from Cici’s face. “You are always welcome in my quarters, I will listen”

The other woman nodded. “I know, thank you Tey”

“Allow yourself some joy, some comfort”

“Faith is safe, Laurie and Parker are happy. That’s enough”

“It will not be enough to sustain you forever Cici. Think upon it”

There was another sigh. “Yeah, sure”

Teyla resisted giving her own resigned huff of breath, standing instead and holding out a hand. “I think we shall try again later. Would you like to join me for lunch?”

“Really?” The Slayer blinked up at her.

“Of course” She smiled back down at her. “I believe there is chocolate cake today” Her hand was grasped and she pulled Cici up with surprising ease causing her to step back a little.

Cici smiled at her. “Thank you Teyla, for trying to help”

She nodded. “It is my pleasure”

“I am sorry I’m a pain in the arse”

“We grow accustomed to it”  
 

Evan rolled his eyes. “I leave you lot alone for one day..”

His CO grinned at him. “This time it definitely wasn’t my fault”

“I’m sure I could trace it back to you if I tried hard enough”

The Colonel flipped him off over his mug. Evan tapped his own mug thoughtfully. He’d been called to his and John’s office the moment he’d reconnected to the city’s comm system so he could be briefed on todays events. His eyes slipped down to the pad in front of him, ten minutes in to his CO speaking to him he’d started taking notes, this kind of stuff was unknown to them and hard to keep a firm track of. “You believe them about the Shifter things?”

“Pretty much” John propped his feet on his desk. “And they offered a demonstration, a risky move if they couldn’t follow through on it”

“Cici would know you wouldn’t like the risk”

“Not for certain” His Co sighed. “They drive me nuts, they’re stubborn and disobedient, they’ve turned my city upside down, and they’re still refusing to change out of their pyjama’s before coming to breakfast” Evan grinned at him. “And they have this annoying way of strolling in anywhere like they own the place, which ultimately they usually do but…I like them Ev”

“Me too”

“They’ve been dealt a sucky hand and not just the ones we have here. From what I understand they’re pulled out of their normal lives, taken from their families and shoved into battle by some asshole who treats them as a number”

“I know Sir”

“But that could twist people”

“It could”

“Cici has…something” John frowned.

Evan nodded. “I always get the feeling that I’m still walking around with all my body parts because she just can’t be bothered with the effort of tearing them off”

His CO snorted. “You and me both”

“But McKay said they don’t take human life?”

“Apparently, bar the odd accident, but those have happened to us and a thousand other military personnel too”

He ran a hand through his hair. “Oh yeah” He tapped the pad with his pencil. “I think I’m with you on the Shifter thing, I mean it sounds impossible but that is what these girls seem to be involved in. Things that seem impossible”

“We live on the legendary city of Atlantis in an alien galaxy, and fight space vampires”

Evan grinned at him. “That’s what the Slayers call them”

“Well, they’re kinda right I guess” John took a sip of coffee. “What about the other stuff?”

His eyes flicked over his scribblings again. “The connection can’t raise that many problems, it’ll probably be a bit of an asset. Especially if Faith is in real trouble, Cici and the others will be all over it in seconds”

“You don’t think it’s weird?”

“A little but I’m also kind of jealous. Imagine being connected like that to your team?”

“I have no desire to be connected to Rodney” Evan smirked at him, John rolled his eyes. “But I get your point” He placed his mug back down. “I think Rodney is worried about it, I guess its kinda strange that somebody else has that connection with your own wife, and what happens if Ci gets hurt? Will Faith feel it?”

“They said they have blocks in place?”

His CO nodded. “It’s more of an empathic connection but they say it can still be a little invasive. They shut it down when they’re not out in the field”

“So on the Hive Ci’s blocks would have been down, keeping in touch with the other girls, could be why Faith’s emotions reached her”

“Still pretty impressive”

“But they’re connection is stronger because of the healing process Faith went through?”

John chewed his lip briefly. “Yeah. I think Faith was surprised about that too. Cici kept a lot from her about that time, didn’t want to cause her any unnecessary stress” He raised a brow at Ev. “From the way they argued about it I got the impression it was a big risk on Ci’s part. Sharing out her power, draining her levels then building them back up quick enough to start all over again”

Evan nodded. “Even without knowing the actual process it sounds tiring, a big stress on the body. But they have the heightened stamina, the healing”

“They can’t be unending resources though. You heard them, they die just like us. Younger than we are now” John seemed to stare off into space.

“I know, it’s sucky”

The Colonel huffed a quiet laugh. “On a lighter note I’ll probably be fired after Rodney’s meeting tomorrow”

He frowned. “What? Why?”

“We agreed to trust O’Neill, Cici is going with Rodney”

“Yes, you said”

“I lied, and I hid their presence”

“So did I Sir”

John looked at him, a flash of something Evan couldn’t register quick enough. “Your name will not be mentioned. You were unaware they were here without the mountains knowledge”

“John..”

“I mean it Ev, if this goes totally tits up for us I want you here. The men trust you, I trust you to keep doing what we’re doing, running Atlantis the way I have been”

“Because thats the best way to run it John. O’Neill knows that”

“He can’t turn a blind eye to everything Ev. I know we’re allowed a lot of leeway out here, mainly because we are so far away and O’Neill appreciates the lack of paperwork we cause him..” Evan snorted in spite of what was being discussed. “This could be a step too far though”

“We’ll fight for you John”

His CO shook his head. “Don’t”

“Sir..”

“I mean it Ev, or I’ll set Ci on you”

“She can’t kill me”

“I think that would be the least of your worries”

“Right” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’ll think on it, and not until we know for sure what’s happening” He looked back up at the other man. “What did Faith have to say?”

“She wasn’t happy, but she knows it’s the only way. And Ci can teleport, get herself out of any trouble and she’d die before she brought that trouble here”

“That’s not really very reassuring”

“I know”

“You trust her?”

John ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah. Cause quite clearly I’m a crazy person”

“You’re a good match” Evan grinned at him.

“Fuck off Major, I don’t think so”

“Uh huh”

“She drives me insane”

“Exactly”

“Shut up Lorne”

“Shutting up Sir”

 

Rodney tugged the sheets over them. “This is getting more complicated”

His wife sighed in his arms. “I know baby, I’m sorry. I’m afraid Slayer’s bring a lot of chaos, in fact I’m pretty sure you stated something similar in our divorce proceedings”

He cleared his throat. “Actually I was talking about the sex”

“Oh”

“Are you smirking?”

“Absolutely not” Faith wriggled round and he was forced to shuffle back a bit. She raised a brow. “I’m not that big”

“Of course not” He tried to keep his face straight. “Ow!” he scowled at her. “No punching, and how does that still hurt without your powers?”

“I think that says more about you than me” He rolled his eyes as his wife smiled at him. “Maybe you should take Ci up on her offer of training?”

“I am not letting that maniac anywhere near me, especially with wooden sticks”

Faith grinned at him. “I think you like her really”

“No”

“Uh huh, don’t worry it happens to a lot of people, and they are all just as confused about why they do”

Rodney snorted before smiling gently. “I don’t want you to worry tomorrow”

“Baby I’m gonna worry” She stroked a thumb over his cheek. “This is so risky, and not just for us. For you, and John. Will he get into a lot of trouble?”

“Please, the Colonel could fall into a sewer and come out smelling of roses, smug bastard”

“Rodney, be serious”

He sighed. “I don’t want you to be stressed”

“A little late for that”

He sat up, reaching for his discarded boxers. “If this was any other military operation then I’d say definitely yes, he lied to his CO, harboured possible fugitives and filed false reports. I’m sure they’d find a few more fancy names for what he’s done too”

Faith curled tighter into her cocoon as he left the bed and headed for his laptop, flicking the kettle on as he passed. “I’m so sorry”

“It isn’t your fault sweetheart, none of this is. I was the one who revealed the existence of Atlantis to you, compromised my confidentiality agreement, you were just looking for sanctuary”

“And you”

Rodney turned and smiled at her. “And me”

Faith nodded, playing with a strand of hair on the pillow. “But you said if this was any other military operation?”

He poured two coffees and placed one on the bedside, moving over to the desk and bringing up some documents on his computer. “Well, the SGC has always had to find a way round some of the more outdated regs. The things that happen off-world, the unpredictable outcomes of any exploratory work…and O’Neill was on SG-1 for a long time. They were a first contact team and really the first team that regularly went through the gate, he understands. Gets that the rules can’t always be firmly adhered to and that…well, things happen”

“But this..”

“He may well just find the whole thing incredibly amusing, or he could be really pissed. But I’ll try everything, and play down John’s role. He’s already instructed me to keep everyone else out of it. That it was an agreement between us only and everybody else was told you were here with O’Neill’s consent”

“So he’s lying again?”

“He’s protecting his friends, and Atlantis. The city can’t afford to lose all of us. Lorne would make an excellent CO and Woolsey…well, he’s getting there”

“I like him”

“Really?” He turned from his screen.

Faith nodded. “Yeah”

“Huh” He looked thoughtful for a minute then shrugged, swivelling back to his work. “I’m more concerned about Cici”

“She’ll behave” There was the rustle of the comforter as his wife pushed herself up and grabbed her drink. “I know she’s not the most tactful person ever…”

“Understatement”

“BUT she knows when it’s time to be serious, and she likes the people here. She won’t do anything to risk them, or their jobs”

He stared at his screen. “You sure?”

“Yes Rodney” He turned again to see her smiling over her mug. “I believe she has grown quite fond of some of the personnel”

Rodney gaped at her. “Really?”

“Why is that so surprising?” Faith took a sip of coffee.

“But…she doesn’t like anyone, apart from you and maybe Laurie and Parker”

She grinned at him. “She adores Laurie and Parker, they’re like her babies..”

“Wrong”

Faith snorted. “And she likes you, trusted your word in that meeting earlier. AND she was prepared to sit down and explain everything, answer all your questions, a rarity for her, and Laurie actually. Parker is the more tolerant”

“Yeah, we’d noticed”

“She also seems to have warmed to your entire team”

“I’m not sure if thats a good thing”

“Of course it is baby” Faith rolled her eyes then smirked at him. “And in case you hadn’t noticed she also follows John’s orders, even if she does look like she wants to kill him whilst she’s doing it”

Rodney downed half his coffee, thinking over the past few weeks. “Huh, you’re right”

“She trusts him, and she likes Major Lorne, the city will be good for Ci as long as we stay. She has a long way to go, but she’s also come a long way too”

“Like you”

“Like me” Another smile. “Why do you think I chose her? Under B’s tuition Ci could have gone the same way I did. She needed me, and I needed her. Still do”

“She went through the same stuff you did?” Rodney frowned at Faith. She’d told him in general terms about what her childhood was like, what she was put through before the Slayer had hit her full force and everything had changed but he suspected there was still things that..lurked.

“Pretty much” His wife gave a small sad smile. “Only difference is she came from money”

“Well, it couldn’t have been that bad then. And it also explains a lot”

“Money doesn’t make that stuff any easier to handle baby. It can just hide it for a while”

He nodded. “Sometimes, when we were together before and you hadn’t realised I was there I’d catch you with this look, it made me think I’d never be able to get in, that you were never gonna be..”

“Normal?”

Rodney glared at her. “No, happy”

Faith sighed. “Rodney..”

“I hated that look, it used to make me feel sick” He looked into his wife’s eyes. “I saw that look again today..”

She frowned. “I’m happy, worried maybe, but still happy”

He nodded. “I know. I’m talking about Cici”

“What?”

“She was whispering with the Colonel and just for a moment, the way she looked at him, it was like I was right back there”

Faith sat in silence, eyes dropping to stare into her mug. Rodney watched her carefully. Then she raised her head, surprisingly the faintest of smiles on her lips. “It is nothing to worry about”

“I..but you..”

“Her guard slipped, she probably didn’t even realise she was doing it” Faith nodded. “It’s a good thing”

Rodney rubbed his temples. “It is?”

“Yes, trust me”

He flipped off his smirking wife.  
 

John propped his forearms on the railings and looked out over the darkened water. It had been another long day, he couldn’t even remember one that hadn’t been now, since he’d stepped through that gate four years ago his life had pretty much been non-stop, and he could probably hardly call it his own these days. He was wiped out, his head hurt and his shoulder muscles ached, he smiled to himself, it didn’t get any better than this. And for all he’d protested to his 2IC John would fight tooth and nail to keep it this way, they wanted him out of his city then they’d have to find a really big crowbar, or get one of the Slayers to knock him out and carry him back through the gate. He sighed quietly, hopefully the girls liked him enough now to take some convincing to do that, it would be an incredibly undignified way to go.

Someone smacked him round the back of the head and he just about stopped himself from going headfirst into the ocean below. “Ow!” He turned and glared at the figure behind him. “What the hell?”

She smiled. “That’s for going to that Wraith-infested stinkhole of a planet without me”

He glared at her, resisting the urge to rub the throbbing spot on the back of his head. “Despite it being none of your business Cecilia, I will reiterate that I am the CO around here, and Ford is one of mine…and there were no Wraith for your information” 

“I told you I would find him…and how dangerous that place was”

“Didn’t know you cared Slayer”

“O’Neill will not let us stay if we get you killed”

“Wow, really feeling the love” Cici merely raised a brow. He sighed. “Chances are if he’s still alive you’ll find him on a Hive, I’ll grant you that. But I have to do everything I can to chase down leads too. Do you understand?”

She eyed him for a moment. “Yeah, ok, I get it” She waved a hand vaguely in his direction. “Just try not to die before the baby is born”

“You’re all heart Slayer” 

“You’re an arse”

“Thank you” He grinned briefly before shifting his expression into a more serious one. “I trust you to keep your promise. Don’t misunderstand my actions”

Ci raised a brow. “You trust me?”

“With this? Yes” John folded his arms across his chest.

“But not with anything else?”

“We’re working on it”

“Great, thanks for the love” She rolled her eyes.

He snorted quietly and looked out over the water, frowning suddenly. “How did you know we went there?”

She smirked at him. “You smell bad”

“Excuse me?”

“You stink of that place Colonel, sitting next to you earlier I could have been right back there”

“Great, I’ve got to deal with super-smelling power too?”

“Uh huh” Her smirk turned into a grin. “Wanna know where Ro was last night?”

“Jesus fuck no” John blinked. “Hang on, you can uh, smell that too?”

“Yep”

“I am so disturbed right now”

“You’re always disturbed”

He flipped her off. “No smelling my personnel, or me”

“Spoil all my fun” Cici stuck her tongue out at him.

John rolled his eyes. “Very mature”

“Cause you’re such a grown-up”

“I am, I even have the uniform to prove it”

Cici rolled her eyes again. “So do I”

“Your’s does not count as a uniform”

“Why?”

“I think we all know the answer to that one”

“Hey!”

“Have you considered upping your necklines?” He grinned at her.

She narrowed her gaze. “Why?”

“People would probably take you more seriously”

“I find, Colonel, that people take me seriously due to my ability to rip out their spinal cord without breaking a nail”

“Umhmm, wouldn’t want to ruin the manicure”

“Well, aren’t you delightful this evening?”

“Aren’t you delightful all of the time? And you smacked me remember?”

“Oh yeah” She smirked at him. “That was fun”

“Are you done?”

“For now” She turned on her heels.

“Miss Black?”

He saw her shoulders tense but she stayed turned away form him. “Yes Colonel?”

“Try to dial back the wit tomorrow”

“Maybe General O’Neill will appreciate my sense of humour”

“I will be extremely pissed if you cock this up, I’m trusting you”

“And that is your choice” She shot him a look over her shoulder. “Thanks for the pep talk. You should take seminars or something”

As the door slid shut behind her and she disappeared from view he pinched the bridge of his nose. Yeah, nice one Sheppard.  
 

The next day.

“This does not feel right” Laurie fidgeted beside him.

“Tell me about it” Muttered John, watching as the two figures were swallowed up by the gate. He gave the signal for it to be shut down.

“I just lay there all night, thinking of all the ways this could go wrong” He smiled down at her as she chewed her lip. “Or all the ways Ci could insult the General”

“Me too”

She looked up at him. “Really?”

“Really. I’m not used to sitting things out either”

“I guess not” She sighed quietly. “And I can’t go beat anything up until she gets back, Faith no-no’d just the two of us heading out”

“Good. If she hadn’t I would have”

Laurie rolled her eyes at him.

“Ro is sparring with the marines, why don’t you go show them how it’s done?”

She eyed him. “How much can pain can I inflict?”

“No blood, no hits below the waist”

“Spoilsport”

“Are you just morphing into Cici?”

“That would be awesome”

“No, it really wouldn’t” John nodded his head towards the transporter. “Go on, we’ll let you know the minute we hear anything”

“Promise?”

“Promise. Now bugger off”

Laurie ripped off a salute and jogged away.

“She does that better than you do”

He glared at his 2IC who had been quietly standing behind the Slayer. “People are supposed to salute me”

“You want me to start saluting you again?”

John looked thoughtful then shook his head. “No, it was ridiculous, and kept making me feel uncomfortable, and a little dizzy”

“Dizzy?”

“Do you know how many times we cross paths Ev? Your arm must have constantly ached”

“I switched sides a lot” Lorne grinned at him. “Gave me some nice definition too”

“That is so wrong” John pulled a face. “In so many ways”

The Major snorted. “So, now what?”

He sighed. “We wait”

“For how long?”

John raised a brow. “With no contact?”

Evan nodded.

“Eight hours”

“That’s it?”

“It should be pretty cut and dry once Rodney has actually spat it out. I can’t see Miss Black using any embellishments or any kind of subtlety”

“She seemed quiet this morning”

“I hadn’t noticed”

Evan eyed him. “Did you upset the very hot yet incredibly terrifying super powered cheerleader?” John glared at him. “Who holds your very job in her hands?”

“No”

“Sir..”

“Hey, she started it. And FYI it hurts when a Slayer hits you”

“FYI?”

“Shut up Lorne, I didn’t get any sleep”

“Hmm, for all the wrong reasons”

He threw his hands up in the air. “What is happening to my personnel?” Evan just grinned at him. John gave one last commandery look for good measure before turning away and taking the steps two at a time. Well, really.


	11. Chapter Eleven

Three hours later.

Jack stared at the young woman sat opposite him at the briefing table. She was smiling serenely and playing with a pigtail. He looked at the men sat either side of him. Colonel Mitchell shrugged, Daniel had a vague grin plastered on his face. He rolled his eyes and turned back to her. “Super powers?”

“Yep” She dropped her hair. “I can give you a demonstration if you’d like?”

“A demonstration?” He echoed.

“Umhmm, do you have anyone like Ronan here?”

He frowned. “The large angry one with the hair?”

“That could be one of two people on the city”

Dr McKay sighed. “Ci..”

“Ok, ok. Yes, the large angry one” She smiled again.

“Um, wouldn’t you rather..a marine? They’re good”

“As are the ones on the city but Colonel Sheppard says I’m not allowed to play with them anymore. He’s running out”

Mitchell lifted his mug up to grin behind it. Daniel snorted quietly. Jack stared at her some more. She had to be five four without those boots on and couldn’t weigh more than a hundred and ten. “Um, well, there’s Teal’c”

“Is he large and angry?”

Daniel made a strange strangled noise in the back of his throat. 

“Well, I don’t think he’s angry. It’s pretty hard to tell”

“But he’s large?”

Mitchell cleared his throat, still hidden behind his coffee.

“Will you please stop saying large?” Dr McKay was glaring at his companion.

“Why?” Her brow furrowed. “It’s not rude”

“Everything sounds rude when you say it, repeatedly”

“Thanks”

“It’s not a compliment” McKay hissed.

“I’m pretty sure it is”

“Cecilia you promised..”

Jack cleared his throat. “Right, well you can argue about that disturbing conversation later. Before I make any kind of decision I would like to see if Miss Black is as powerful as she says. It would be one way to corroborate the stories”

Dr McKay nodded. “Of course. Thank you for listening General”

A hand was waved. “Can’t go about yelling at people until you get all the facts. A man could look a real arse doing something like that”

Mitchell snorted, turning it into a cough as Jack turned to glare at him. “Quite right Sir”

“Shut up Mitchell”

“Yes Sir”

 

Twenty minutes later he watched as a couple of marines helped Teal’c up off the floor, again. The Jaffa’s feet had actually left the ground and he’d travelled a rather impressive distance before managing to collide with a handily placed mat. The man next to him leant closer. “Jack..” He murmured.

“I know Daniel” Straightening he raised his voice. “I think that’s enough, thank you Miss Black. We kind of need him to rescue the rest of us, especially Mitchell”

“Bite me Sir”

“No thank you”

She grinned and wandered over to them. She wasn’t even out of breath. “He’s very good”

“He’s also very beaten up”

“Sorry” The young woman did a very good job of not sounding sorry at all but she did school her expression into a serious one. “If there is anything else I can do..I know how serious this could be. The people of Atlantis have really helped us, we..I will do anything to convince you of that, and to protect them”

Jack looked at her, eyes you could get lost in stared back up at him. He shook himself slightly. “I have no doubt. And they’re equally as lucky to have you as their protector. But you understand some things must be answered for?”

“I do” She nodded, looking over as Dr McKay began to make his way to them. “I can disappear, as can my team mates, but Faith..she needs the city and she needs Rodney” She pulled a face. “Still weirds me out”

Jack grinned at her.

“And the city needs Colonel Sheppard”

“He’s there for a reason Miss Black”

She nodded again. 

“Ah, Dr McKay, interesting demonstration”

He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, it was fascinating”

“Now who’s being rude”

He narrowed his gaze at the Slayer. “Now I understand why the Colonel won’t let you play with Ronan any more”

She grinned at him. “I am awesome”

“No, you’re not”

“Uh huh”

“Actually that was awesome” 

“Thank you” She smiled up through her lashes at Colonel Mitchell who was grinning at her.

Jack watched Dr McKay lift his eyes to the ceiling in a short prayer. He resisted the urge to do the same. “Right people, I need to have half hour to think about this, maybe have a lie down. Go do something that’s not going to cause me any paperwork, I’ll see you back in the briefing room”

“Cool” Miss Black turned to Rodney. “I’m hungry now”

“You want me to just produce food?”

“You eat enough of it”

‘Hey!”

Mitchell shared a grin with Daniel. “Come on Slayer, we’ll hit the mess”

“Do you have cake?”

“You know you kind of remind me of someone..”

“You knew a Slayer?”

“Nope, she’s a space pirate”

“Wow, that sounds…”

“No being a pirate” Dr McKay moved to catch up with them. “The Colonel is careering towards a big enough heart attack as it is”

“Driving him crazy Miss Black?” Mitchell held the door open for her.

“Thank you, and only because he lets me”

He huffed a laugh. “Awesome”

“It is not awesome” The Slayer paused in the doorway and opened her mouth. Dr McKay pointed at her. “No, it is not. And yes I’m joining you for lunch, both Sheppard and Faith said no making new friends”

“I like making new friends”

“So do I” Mitchell was still grinning.

“Not this one you won’t”

“Hey!”

“And I’m not answering to a highly pissed Colonel on top of today’s proceedings, and nor am I sleeping on the couch tonight”

The door swung shut behind them, cutting off their conversation. Jack looked over at Daniel and raised a brow. The archaeologist shrugged. “I like her”

“Yes, but why?”

His friend frowned, opened his mouth and snapped it shut again. “Um, I’m not sure”

“Hmm” Jack looked round the now empty gym. “Mitchell is right, she is a bit like Vala”

“Vala with super powers” Daniel pulled a face.

“Oh, just take the girl out Daniel”

“What?!”

“You heard me, life’s too short and all that. Look at Mitchell..”

“Mitchell has lost three pairs of pants in the past two months”

“And now he’s having lunch with some kind of Rambo cheerleader. Live a little, take some risks”

“I get the feeling Sheppard would probably shoot him if he took that risk”

“Quite possibly. But you’re missing my point”

“What point?”

“Exactly” Jack grinned at him and made his way to the door, leaving his friend fuming quietly in the middle of the room.

“YOU’RE VERY ANNOYING!”

 

They were waiting on Jack, again. Daniel sighed quietly and checked his watch before eyeing the two women murmuring quietly on the other side of the briefing table. He leant into Mitchell. “You introduced her to Vala?”

“Yeah” The Colonel grinned at him.

Daniel glared at him. Dr McKay, who was sat next to the Slayer, had spent the past ten minutes facedown on the table with his eyes squeezed shut. “Do you really think that was a good idea?”

“I think it was an awesome idea” Mitchell’s gaze swept over them again. “Really awesome”

“I really hope this one comes back to bite you in the arse”

“Aw, don’t be like that Jackson” Mitchell continued to smirk at him. “They are highly intelligent and individual young women that probably have a lot in common. Nothing wrong with them getting to know each other”

“Yeah, apart from the ultimate destruction of the world as we know it”

The other man snorted. “Coward”

“Asshole”

“Now boys, no hair pulling in my briefing room”

Daniel looked up at the General who was looking down at them with a raised brow. He rolled his eyes. “You’re late”

“I am never late Daniel” Jack took a seat. “You are always early”

“Sure Jack, whatever you say”

“He is the General” Vala smiled, looking up from her conversation. 

“A great achievement at such a young age” Miss Black had swivelled her chair to look at them. 

Dr McKay lifted his head from the table. “Please, don’t talk anymore”

The Slayer leant into the Space Pirate to mock whisper in her ear. “And so handsome”

“Umhmm” Vala nodded, pigtails swinging round her shoulders.

“And you are here why Miss Mal Doran?”

“Cameron said I could” She swivelled back and forth on her chair.

“Of course he did”

“Sorry Sir”

“No you’re not Mitchell”

“Um no, but I’m sorry for that Sir”

“Daniel’s right, you are an asshole”

“Thank you Sir”

Jack glared at him. 

“It’s just like being at home” Miss Black looked at Dr McKay. “They’re like the Milky Way version of you lot. But their genius is prettier, and the Colonel isn’t as angry here”

“I think we all feel a little insulted Cecilia, albeit in very different ways”

“Speak for yourself” Mitchell grinned at Dr McKay who scowled back at him.

“The only reason he’s not angry is because he has yet to spend more than half an hour alone in your company” Her companion waggled a finger at her. “Now, shut up”

“I..”

“Ah” Dr McKay pointed at her. “Quiet time”

“Quiet time is boring” The Slayer folded her arms across her chest and pouted.

“Tough shit”

She stayed quiet, apparently fuming silently. Daniel looked between them before shooting a glance at Jack. The General grinned. “Thank you Dr McKay, and please feel free to share your secret”

“I’m open to offers” The Slayer snorted quietly by Dr McKay’s side but refrained from commenting.

“Really?” Jack raised a brow. “How about permanent sanctuary for your wife and her friends, plus new identities and a pay packet to match?”

The scientists mouth dropped open. “Really?”

“Really McKay” The General tipped back in his chair. “I’ve learnt to spot trouble Doc, and your new friend here has it written all over her, however I also know when I’ve met a loyal and honourable marine, and she has that too”

“Am not” Muttered the Slayer.

“Shut up Cecilia”

Jack grinned. “There will be conditions of course, and I shall be watching very carefully. Starting with a little trip to Atlantis, it’ll save you passing on a message to Sheppard too. We’ll head out in an hour” He raised a brow. “Any questions?”

“Can Cameron and Vala come too?”

McKay glared at her. “Seriously?”

“What?” She shrugged. “I like them”

“You don’t like anyone!”

“I like Faith”

“Stop liking my wife”

Daniel turned to his old friend. “Are you sure about this Jack?”

“I’m always sure about everything Daniel”

 

The gate wooshed into life. “This is gonna suck so bad” Muttered John.

Mr Woolsey huffed a quiet laugh next to him. “Relax, if O’Neill is coming here rather than ordering us back to Earth it’s a good sign”

“O’Neill is as predictable as a…well, a very unpredictable thing”

“Relax John, smile”

“I hate you”

Another snort of laughter.

“I hate Slayer’s”

“No you don’t”

He bit back the retort and plastered an easy smile on his face as six figures strolled onto his city. “General O’Neill, welcome to Atlantis Sir” He offered a half-decent salute.

“No saluting, it makes me uncomfortable Sheppard” His General shot him a look. “Briefing room?”

He resisted the urge to sigh. “Of course, this way Sir” A movement caught his eye. “Where do you think you’re going Miss Black?”

The Slayer rolled her eyes at him. “I have already been forced to listen to this once, I’m giving Val the tour”

“I don’t think so”

“Yes”

“No” He narrowed his gaze at her.

Cici smiled through her lashes at him. “I already asked Jack and he’s the General, and said yes”

John fought the desire to pinch the bridge of his nose and sigh, instead looking at his boss. O’Neill waved a hand. “I see no harm Sheppard, anyway they appear to have given Daniel some kind of twitch already, probably be best they amuse themselves”

Colonel Mitchell snorted. “Can I take the tour too?”

“No”

“Oh, come on Sir..”

“No, as a Colonel you have to be with the grown-ups”

“Damn”

John glared at the other smirking Colonel. “Fine” He turned to the two women. “No breaking my city, no stealing, no sexually harassing the marines”

“Spoilsport” Vala shot him an award winning smile. 

O’Neill huffed a laugh. “Right, now thats settled lets get this done. I’m a busy man you know” Dr Jackson rolled his eyes at his CO’s back. “You may want to gather the other Slayers though Sheppard, I’m interested to meet them after making the acquaintance of Miss Black, and they’ll need to hear this”

“Of course Sir” He nodded at Lorne who tapped his radio and turned slightly away, making for the corridor that led to the larger briefing room. Making sure everyone fell into step he turned and shot one last look at Cici, mouthing the words ‘I mean it’. She smiled innocently at him before grabbing Vala’s hand and dragging her to the transporter. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this” He muttered. 

 

One hour later.

Mitchell propped his arms on the railings and looked out over the water. “You know the John Sheppard I knew would be highly amused by all of this, and possibly be getting laid already”

He flipped off his old friend. “The John Sheppard you knew wasn’t in charge of an entire base, and was yet to meet Cecilia Black”

“I like her”

“Don’t even think about it”

The other man turned his head to grin at him. “Why?”

John glared at him. “Because….”

Mitchell raised a brow. “Because…”

“Shut up”

“Your witty comebacks aren’t what they used to be”

“I’ve used them all up on the Slayers” John ran hand through his hair. “Crazy arse women”

“You love crazy arse women”

“Do not”

“Do too”

“Do not”

Mitchell grinned at him. “Still just as stubborn” He turned and leant his back against the railings instead, looking thoughtfully into the city. “So, what do you think about O’Neill’s proposal?”

“I think he’s crazy too”

“He hasn’t fired you, be grateful”

John sighed. “I know” There had been a few cutting remarks but for the most part John seemed to have come out unscathed from the meeting, except that now he had four Slayer’s that were to be permanent residents on his city. In return for their sanctuary they were to continue their fight against the Wraith, and behave themselves, follow orders and write up reports after every mission. He wasn’t sure if he was looking forward to those or not. They were to also ensure they took no risks when it came to the Council possibly being able to trace them, and were to step in if they did. Both O’Neill and John did not want their people caught in the crossfire.

“I think he’s taken a bit of a shine to them actually”

“Great” Just what he needed, Slayers with O’Neill as backup.

“Remember, you’re still here”

“I know, be grateful”

“Exactly” Mitchell gave him a slightly warmer smile, maybe the man did feel a little sorry for John after all. “Now, I have an hour left so I should probably hunt down Val, search her for anything sparkly or weapon like. Any clues?”

“You’re kidding me right? The city opens up to the Slayers like some kind of whore, and it hides them, they could be anywhere”

“Jealous?”

“Maybe”

 

Vala leant her head back against the cool outer wall of the city, half-lidded eyes staring out at the distant mainland. She was not quite sure how she came to be here, tucked away on a small private balcony whilst her new friend’s fingertips brushed lightly over her thighs, lips tingling from the powerful kiss she’d been pulled into as soon as the doors had slid shut behind them but she was now quite sure it was a very good idea.

Over her years spent as Quetesh she had experienced many, men and women, and whilst maybe there were memories buried deep she would rather not touch on she was sometimes grateful for the lessons she had learnt. Like how a woman’s touch could bring her just as much pleasure as a man’s. Quite often Vala preferred it, they understood her body as they did their own and they were always gentler, more invested in mutual pleasure. 

But this young woman, who could be no more than twenty-five, was like no other she had tasted. Cecilia Black was chockfull of sexual magnetism and charisma, both of which were currently causing Vala to lose some higher brain function despite the fact they were both still clothed, and she was once a Sex Goddess. Quetesh would have worshipped this girl. The soft, but incredibly dirty, murmurings in her ear stopped and she was drawn into another kiss, Cecilia sliding her tongue into Vala’s mouth. There was a light touch between her legs, the soft drag of her BDU pants across the, already soaked, cotton panties and she heard her own breath hitch beneath the kiss, her legs parting a little more.

Vala kissed back, reaching up to pull the pigtails free and slipping her hands into all those golden waves, it slid through her fingers like silk before she gripped, burying them in further. She could feel the fullness of the other woman’s lips against hers, sucked on her lower lip and then her tongue. The fingers returned to Vala’s thigh, stroked up until they came to rest on the fly of her BDU’s, the slow click of the zip making her coil tight with anticipation, then the sure fingers were sliding inside, coming to rest just above her clit.

Cici’s fingers pushed slightly, just enough pressure for Vala to moan into her mouth in pleasure, before they dipped inside and rubbed slowly over the sensitive bundle of nerves. The Slayer moaned quietly, pulled away from the kiss and ran her mouth up Vala’s neck. “So wet already” She murmured in her ear. All Vala could do was groan in response especially when her neck was treated to more kisses and the other woman’s hand slid over her folds as she softly told her how beautiful she thought Vala was, how she wanted to make her cum, how her being so wet was driving her crazy.

The fingers slid inside, pushing and probing as her thumb rubbed Vala’s clit, softly, then with increasing pressure. Her tongue flicked across Vala’s ear then back to her mouth and there was another deep kiss as the rubbing got faster and the ex-Sex Goddess could already feel her orgasm building. Cici gently bit her lower lip before whispering to her. “Cum for me, I want to feel..”

Vala could feel her body shuddering as she exploded against the Slayer’s hand. The resumed kissing making her head spin and sweat to break out on her skin. When the last of the tremors died away the Slayer pulled back and smiled, waiting for Vala to focus on her before licking off her fingers. “You’re so pretty”

“And you are so skilled”

“Thank you” Another smile. 

“I would have preferred to be naked”

“I’ll remember for next time”

She eyed her from her still laid out position, half-propped against her now favourite wall. Cici’s lips were swollen and glistening from her tasting, stunning eyes blown so wide they were nearly black. Vala felt her muscles lightly ripple again, her stomach gently rolling with appreciation at the view. “May I taste you?”

“Not something I ever turn down” Cici grinned, those pleasure blown eyes twinkling back at her.

“I imagine not” Vala moved to her knees, knelt between the Slayer’s legs and stole another kiss whilst her hands moved to the back of her neck, unclipping the leather halter. 

“We’re going with the naked thing huh?”

“Umhmm” As she unpeeled the tough material from the body of the other woman Vala lowered her head, took the hard pink nipples into her mouth one after the other, enjoying the feel of full, plump breasts beneath her lips. This trip had most definitely been a good idea.

 

“Thank God” Muttered Dr Jackson. John twisted his head to see Vala and Cici exiting the transporter. The archeologist threw his hands up. “Where the hell have you been?!”

“There is no need to shout Daniel” Vala swayed over, a serene smile on her lips, John guessed this was one of the many ways she drove the man nuts. He felt a little pang of pity for him.

“Colonel Sheppard was about to send out search parties”

John frowned. “I was?”

Cici snorted. “Please, the Colonel would love to be able to lose me”

“Agreed” John smirked at her. “Have you been behaving?”

She rolled her eyes. “Yes Dad”

“Quit it” He glared at her. “Well?”

“We did not break anything, nor did Vala steal anything”

“Good” He eyed her. “And my men?”

“Perfectly safe” 

“Umhmm, my tour guide was company enough” Vala winked at him, John refused to rise to it. 

“I am awesome”

Mitchell huffed a laugh. “Right, now we’re all here lets go home. Wanna come Miss Black?” She muttered something under her breath. He frowned. “What?”

She grinned at him. “Nothing” Cici looked up at John. “Can I go?”

“No”

“Spoil all my fun” She pouted.

“I let you go and beat the shit out of stuff all the time”

“Are you saying thats all the fun I need?”

“It appears to be” He grinned at her.

She stuck her tongue out. “I guess Faith didn’t tell you about the two H’s of Slaying”

John stared at her then licked his lips. “Right, don’t think I want to ever know”

“Good choice Sheppard” The General nodded. “Keep up the good work, I look forward to next weeks reports”

“I don’t Sir”

“I know Colonel” O’Neill grinned at him. John went for signalling for Chuck to dial up the gate rather than flipping off his boss. The General peered at Vala. “It rain or something?”

She frowned. “I don’t understand”

“Did we miss a small storm whilst we were in the meeting? Your hair is soaked”

John closed his eyes and wished he could get away with putting his hands over his ears.

“Oh, no Jack. I took a shower”

“A shower?”

“Yes Jack”

The gate came to life behind them and John reopened his eyes at the sound, having them closed wasn’t helping block out this conversation anyway. 

“Um, why?”

“I got dirty silly” Vala smiled and winked at Cici before wandering over to the gate, waving behind her. “It is lovely here, thank you for having me!” She disappeared through the horizon.

John looked at O’Neill, the General raised a brow. He cleared his throat. “Um..”

“Don’t Sheppard, just..I’ve found it best not to”

He breathed a sigh of relief. “Ok, thank you Sir”

O’Neill nodded and strolled out of Atlantis, dragging a highly pissed Daniel with him. “You can’t stay Mitchell” John raised a brow at the still lurking Colonel, who was staring thoughtfully at the Slayer. “Nor is Cecilia allowed back on Earth at any point in the near future”

The leader of SG-1 rolled his eyes at him before turning to the young woman still smiling innocently at them. “Your hair is wet too”

“Thats because I also got dirty” They stared at her. “Don’t worry, you can only fit one person in those tuna cans..” She winked, and it was nearly as filthy a gesture as Vala’s had been.

“Uh..”

“Perhaps I should consider taking larger quarters” She looked thoughtful for a second then nodded before shooting them another smile. “It was lovely to meet you all Cameron, I hope to see you again soon” John watched her place a kiss to the other man’s cheek then wander casually over to the transporter before stepping inside. 

The man next to him shifted slightly. “Uh..”

“Don’t say it Mitchell” He couldn’t stop staring at the closed doors of the transporter. 

“I’m not sure wether to be turned on or pissed”

“Go away”

“I think I’m turned on” 

One of the sec team members coughed quietly. John glared at his old friend. “Get off my city”

“I look forward to Cici’s report. Keep the fires warm Shep” Mitchell slapped him on the back and grinned before jogging back through the gate.

John pinched the bridge of his nose as the gate shut down. “So wrong” He muttered.

“Are you ok Sir?”

He straightened and looked back at his 2IC. “Fine”

A brow rose. “Are you sure Sir?”

He flipped him off. “I think I may..uh, just um, I’ll be in my quarters” There was another quiet cough. John whirled on AR-6. “Pardon?”

“Um, pardon Sir?” Lieutenant Markham looked back blankly.

“Does someone have something to say?” The young marine looked over his team with a questioning brow, they all shook their heads silently. “No, I didn’t think so” He shot the Major a look. “I’ll be on comms”

“Of course Sir” Lorne nodded, face impressively blank. 

John rolled his eyes and left them to it, a shower was starting to sound like a good plan, then maybe a lie down and a stiff drink.


	12. Chapter Twelve

“Hey baby girl”

“Hey” 

Faith watched her friend with amusement as she threw herself down on the other side of the bed, blonde damp waves landing crazily on the pillow, limbs spreading out obscenely. Her husband glared at Cici from the desk. “Oh please, make yourself at home”

“Thanks” The young Slayer grinned at him. She shifted her gaze back up to Faith who was propped up against her cushions, tired from the earlier meeting. The fatigue was really starting to frustrate her. “How you feeling?” A finger trailed down her arm.

“Good, even better now you’re back and its all sorted, and you didn’t kill anybody” She grinned down at the glare. “And you?”

“Still restless, but I feel a little easier I guess. I like O’Neill, he’s pretty awesome”

Faith raised a brow. “Wow, validated by Cecilia Black, a rare honour” She grinned at Rodney as he snorted quietly.

“Bite me”

“I would but you smell funny” She wrinkled her nose at Cici. Her husband raised his head from his work again to look at them curiously.

“Hmmm, space pirate. She tasted nice”

“Oh my God!” Rodney glared at them and stood. “I am out of here”

“Baby, don’t be like that”

“I cannot be listening to this”

“Please, you’re totally the type to have a secret lesbian fantasy” Cici smirked at him. 

He scowled at her. “This is a military base, you can’t go about..” He waved a hand in the air. “..you know..”

“Having sex?” Cici raised her head a little and raised a brow, mock whispering. “You do know thats where babies come from right?”

“Hilarious” He sighed and sat down again. “You need to be careful, the American military do not allow same sex…sex”

“Neither of us are military” Cici rolled her eyes. “And I was getting frustrated, keeping it in your pants is hard”

“In more ways than one” Faith smiled at her husbands death glare. “Relax baby, Ci is right, she’s not military and you know Slayers need some sex to take the edge off. And I have been denying her lately”

“I should hope so” He stood again and flicked on the kettle. “No touching my wife”

“But she’s so pretty”

“Enough” He frowned at her. “Go sexually harass the Colonel, that seems to amuse you more than anything else”

“He’s cross”

“Why?” Faith raised a brow.

“The Vala thing I think, I thought he’d be more appreciative of the material..”

“Disturbing” Muttered Rodney whilst he poured out some coffees.

“..also I just seem to make him angry”

“On purpose”

Cici stopped frowning and looked up to smirk at Faith. “Its fun, and he’s cute when he squirms” 

“So gross” 

Cici looked at him in surprise as Rodney placed a mug on the table beside her. “Um, thank you”

“Don’t get used to it, or tell anyone”

“Never. I have a reputation to think of” The young woman pushed herself up and snagged her coffee.

“Surprise”

She stuck her tongue out. “At least I’ll have something interesting to put into my first report for Jack”

“Oh God, please don’t”

“Why?”

Faith nudged her. “You know why baby girl. Come on, play nice”

“Maybe” Cici grinned over her mug before looking thoughtful. “So, when I thought having sex with Cameron would piss the Colonel off more I was actually wrong? The lesbian sex thing is worse than another Colonel thing? If so that sucks ‘cause Cameron is cute and he’s got this whole vibe you know, like he’d be really awesome in a bossy way”

Rodney lay his head on the desk. “Please, just kill me now”

“You only had to ask”

He flipped her off without moving from his hiding place. 

“This Vala get it Ci?” She raised a brow at the Slayer still sprawled out over her bed.

Cici nodded. “Yep. No strings”

“Good” Faith patted her hand. “Then actually I think you made the right call honey, although of course you could have just restrained yourself from fucking either of them..”

“Jesus” Her husband who had emerged from his hiding place gulped down his coffee.

She grinned at him before turning back to her protégée. “And it was nice of you to think of John before screwing someone else”

“You’re all insane” Mumbled Rodney.

“I wouldn’t have this problem if Teyla would just give it up”

“Oh God!”

 

John looked up as his office door slid open and she strolled in. “No way Ci, I need the rest of the day off from Slayers”

“Mean” She pouted at him, throwing herself into the chair opposite.

“Piss off”

“In a minute”

He sighed. “What do you want?”

“Lots of stuff”

John felt his jaw twitch. “Reach the point Slayer”

“I want to head back out with the girls tomorrow”

“Don’t you want to rest for a couple of days first?”

“Don’t you understand Godlike stamina?”

He glared at her. “Fine, anything to get you to leave”

She rolled her eyes at him. “You’re meaner than usual today”

John flipped her off. 

“You’re angry because I had sex with Vala”

He gaped at her, ignoring the quiet choking sound coming from the Major’s desk. “What?”

“That’s why you’re mad right?” She raised an elegant brow. “I thought you’d rather that than me having sex with Cameron”

There was another choked snort and they both turned to look at Lorne who placed his mug carefully back on his desk “I’ll uh, just leave that til you’re um, done” He bit his lip. 

John glared at him before returning his gaze to Cici. “I have no interest in who you…date”

“I don’t date. I have sex”

He rolled his eyes. “Maybe you should try dating for once”

“Boring” She smirked at him. “Anyway, what would be the point?”

“Seriously?”

“It’s not like I’m gonna live long enough to see through a relationship”

John frowned. “That is not a good outlook to have”

“But an honest one” She stood. “We’ll head out after breakfast” The Slayer turned towards the door then swung back, leaning over his desk so he had to tilt his head to look up at her, and avoid staring directly at her cleavage.

“Now Ci…ow! Hey!” He glared up at her, the sore spot on the back of his head complaining about being struck twice in the space of twenty-four hours. “What the hell?”

“You still haven’t been to see Ford”

“Piss off”

“Gladly”

He watched the door close behind her and sighed, rubbing the back of his head where the hit had landed.

“It’s kinda sad”

John swivelled in his chair to look at the Major. “What?”

Lorne raised a brow. “That she doesn’t even bother looking, that all of them think they’ll die young”

“I think most of them do”

“Do you think thats why we’re still single? Why O’Neill never found anyone else? Cause of what we do, cause people try to kill us all the time”

‘You get turned into a girl again Lorne?”

“Bite me Sir, and don’t think I didn’t notice you checking me out that week”

John scrunched up his face. “Wrong. And I was not”

“Yeah you were” Lorne smirked at him. “I don’t blame you, I made a hell of a woman”

“Please stop talking” John glared at him as he opened his mouth to retort. “Thats an order” He got a silent salute in return. John sighed and ran hand through his hair. “Maybe, I guess..”

“I think you like Cici”

“I think I’d rather take a Wraith stunner blast”

 

Cici stood out on the balcony she had brought Vala to only a few hours ago. Looking out over the water she took a drag on her cigarette before taking a gulp of whisky. She had been lucky to have found the woman, as tempting as Cameron had been she had a sneaking suspicion he would not have understood so well, would not have been quite so adaptable to separating what was enjoyable and mutually benefitting from the more complex, the more emotional. It was clear the man was in love with Vala, and it was even more clear that Vala didn’t have a clue and was currently, hopelessly, pursuing Dr Jackson. 

She shrugged to herself, not that any of that was her concern but in a way she regretted she wouldn’t be around to see how it would work out, couldn’t maybe give them a little nudge in the right direction. But that was the reason she had chosen Vala, Cici needed to let out a little built up a frustration and relieve the tension from engaging the Wraith with so much frequency without any awkward questions, demands of more of her attention, her time, her commitment. The Slayer wrinkled her nose slightly, even if she had never been a Slayer Cici Black was not one to look for relationships, knowing she would be horrendous at them, but along with her duty to the others and now her inevitable conclusion it was even more vital she stayed away.

Ci sighed quietly and threw her dog end over the balcony, immediately reaching for another smoke. Something else she no longer had to worry about. She had been conflicted when it had come to accompanying Faith out here but eventually her desire to keep her friend safe had won out, however sometimes she wished she had stayed back on Earth, there was no one for her to miss back home, no one to regret leaving. She blew out another stream before tensing as the doors slid open with an almost very efficient silence. Inhaling discreetly she rolled her eyes. “Out here for a reason Colonel”

“And that would be?”

“Um, some peace and quiet. So if you don’t mind?”

“Actually I do” He moved beside her, keeping as much space between them as he could in the small space. “I was here first, don't you forget it”

She huffed a quiet laugh. “How could I, with your constant bitching?”

There was a small sigh. “I still haven’t figured out how you get away with being quite so rude”

“It’s a gift” Cici gave a small smile, plucking the bottle from where she had balanced it on the railings. “Drink Colonel?”

There was a pause. “Why not? Day off tomorrow, and it’s been a shitty year”

“Tell me about it” She handed the whisky over. 

“Why did yours suck?”

“Um, someone tried to kill my friend and her unborn child…I had to be nice to Rodney”

“Yeah well, I’ve been doing that for four years”

“You like him”

“No”

“Uh huh” She took back the offered bottle. They stood in silence for a moment.

“Why Vala?”

Cici blinked. “Pardon?”

He shifted so his arms were propped on the railings. “Why Vala? This city is full of people who, and I really resent saying this, would gladly take you up on the offer”

She smiled despite herself. “She’s pretty”

“So are my people”

“Maybe”

“Don’t be evasive” 

She passed the bottle back to him. “She took my fancy. And Faith said I had to behave out here” 

“You always do what Faith says?”

Cici swallowed. “Yes, when I think she’s right”

The Colonel snorted quietly. 

 

John sat propped against the wall of the city, looking out over the water. She’d left a few moments ago, leaving behind the remains of the whisky and her last two cigarettes. He tapped one out and sparked up, enjoying the burn down his throat. He rarely indulged these days but the taste was still amazing, a stark contrast to the heat of the alcohol sitting in his mouth. He ran a hand through his hair.

He’d sought her out after managing to get ten minutes to himself and realising that maybe he wanted to not apologise but to perhaps ensure that what they had wasn’t damaged. He and Ci had developed a weird relationship that seemed to consist mainly of some kind of twisted mutual satisfaction from winding each other up interspersed with rare moments of normalcy where she let him in a little and he was embarrassingly grateful. 

So she drove him nuts, and she was rude and kinda selfish but the young Slayer had a fierce loyalty to Faith and her own team, with brief glimmers that perhaps that loyalty would now stretch to encompass the people of Atlantis and he had a feeling that was a rare honour. And what she had done for her friend meant a lot in John Sheppard’s world, and the fact O’Neill had confided that she had gone to bat for him back at the mountain made his stomach go all weird. John took another drag and rolled his neck, replaying the last moments of their conversation.

They had sat in a comfortable silence for a while before she spoke. “I can’t have anything more than friendships out here”

He’d tried to bring his slightly tipsy braincells back to attention. “Um, pardon?”

There was a quiet sigh. “I chose Vala because she understood, and because now she is gone. I like your friends, and you, but that is all I can do. All I can have”

He’d pushed down the sick feeling. “Why?”

“Because I won’t be here forever”

“None of us will be” John had rolled his head against the wall to look over her profile.

“Then I shall not be here for less than forever”

“Please don’t do anything stupid”

“Coming from you” She gave a quiet huff of laughter. “Anyway, I am not about to do anything, it is what I have already done”

The whisky began to rise back up into his throat. “What have you done?” He whispered.

“My duty” She flicked her cigarette over the balcony before leaning forward and pressing a light kiss to his cheek. “Goodnight Colonel. Early start for me tomorrow”

“Ci…”

“Thats all you’re getting” 

He closed his eyes, feeling his throat tighten up. He didn't understand a lot of their world, even less so Cecilia Black but he did know that when she wanted to get something important across she dropped the innuendoes and the insults and he had a strange feeling that he’d just been prepared for something that he had no hope of stopping, and that he wasn’t going to like very much.

 

The next day.

Faith watched the Colonel watch the now silent gate. Her team had just headed out for another couple of weeks, she always worried but it seemed lesser now, perhaps with the reassurance from O’Neill helping. She raised a brow. “John?”

“Umhmm?” He was still staring at the gate.

“Is um, everything ok?”

He seemed to shake himself before turning to her, a what she supposed was meant to be reassuring smile on his face. “Sure, sorry. Just lots to do today. However, not for you”

Faith rolled her eyes. “I am so bored. And you are so lying”

“Am not”

“Are too”

“Am..for fuck’s sake” He rolled his eyes. “I do this enough with your crazy girls”

“They’re yours now”

“That does not make me happy”

Faith grinned at him. “Rodney is working this morning, are you too busy to join me for a coffee…and cake?”

He seemed to hesitate for a moment before nodding. “Sure, I’ll use my influence to swing you double cake”

She smiled, sliding her arm into his offered one. “I already get double cake”

“Let me guess, everyone loves you?”

“Either that or they’re petrified my husband will shut off their hot water for a month”

He snorted. “Probably the last one”

“Uh huh”

Ten minutes later she was sat opposite him in the relatively deserted mess hall, a warm breeze drifting in from the open balcony doors. “Something is bothering you this morning”

He looked up from his coffee that he’d been staring blankly into again. “Pardon?”

Faith raised a brow. “Something is bothering you? Is it us? Ci? I know we invariably cause chaos, rocking back and forth in corners with your underpants on your head etc etc”

John half-grinned at her. “I think I’ve moved past that point”

“Well then you’re tougher than most” She grinned back. “So?”

The Colonel eyed her for moment. “How did you meet Rodney? And why marry him if Slayers don’t get involved in relationships?” Both brows rose this time. He cleared his throat. “Um, only if you don’t mind. Sorry”

Faith felt her lips twitch. “I’m impressed you managed to wait this long” She set down her fork and picked up her coffee, enjoying the warmth of the mug and the aroma drifting up her nostrils. This would have to be her last one today. “I was heading back from a bar one night, a little downtime after a big fight. I’m a little embarrassed to admit I’d taken a bit of a beating and it had shaken me, thrown me off. I figured a few drinks, maybe pick up some random, would help…”

He nodded his understanding silently.

“Heard a scuffle down an alley, went to take a closer look. There was this guy pinned in by the dead end, two vamps advancing” She smiled slightly. “He had one of their swords, fuck knows how he had managed to get that off them and he was waving it about like some kind of homicidal windmill, seriously in danger of decapitating himself..”

John snorted into his coffee.

“But for all his efforts there’d be no way he could actually take them both down” She sighed. “It was a risk, I was battered and bruised already and now incredibly inebriated but I figured if this human could put up that much of a fight then I could put my arse on the line to help him. Anyway to cut a long battle scene short I took out the first one no problem but I lost my footing, ended up trapped under the other staring up at a lot of teeth. He seemed to have got me twisted somehow so I couldn’t push against him and just when I thought that this was it he suddenly got this surprised look on his face and then he exploded”

“Exploded?”

“Thats what they do when you kill them, turn into dust. I must have swallowed a thousand vamps by now”

“Gross”

“Yeah” She ran a hand though her hair. “So thats how a kick arse Slayer got her own arse saved by a geek”

The Colonel frowned at her. “Rodney killed it?”

Faith nodded. “Yep, he’d watched me take out the other one, grabbed my dropped stake and shoved it through the asshole’s heart”

“Huh” He looked thoughtful. “Wow”

“That’s what I thought” She smiled at him. “Most people run as soon as they can, kinda leave us to it. Can’t really blame them but…he stayed. Helped. And he was cute and I was drunk”

John smiled back at her. “And what made you stay?”

“I’m not quite sure” Faith furrowed her brow. “I think…he never really gave me a chance to be all anonymous you know? By the next morning I’d told him more than I’d told anyone, and I knew more about him than anyone else. And he pissed me off, drove me crazy but I did the same to him and still neither of us could walk away”

“You must have done eventually”

“We had a big row, I’d been away longer than ever before and he threw this in my face..” she waved her hand vaguely around the mess. “Said he’d turned down his dream job because it meant leaving me and I said he should have gone…that I wasn’t worth giving all that up for. That I could well be dead within the next two years”

The Colonel stared back into his coffee. “Ci said pretty much the same thing”

“About you?” Faith watched him curiously.

His head snapped up and he frowned. “Um no. No, we’re not…like that. But in general. She said thats why she chose Vala”

Faith nodded. “The woman understood, and she isn’t a permanent resident here. Guilt free, obligation free” She sighed. “I missed Rodney so much it hurt and nothing would take it away, however many bad guys I beat up, whoever I went to bed with…and then one day I get the divorce papers through and Ci had to stop me from ripping apart the house. She never asked me why I got so mad, I never told her. She was just there for me and I knew then I had to get it together, for my team, my friends. And then he rings one day, says he’s back on Earth. Should have told him where to go but he sounded so..scared”

John nodded. “The brain parasite thing”

“Yeah” She took a sip of coffee. “And then I end up right back where I was all those months ago, except he left something behind this time” She grinned at John.

He rolled his eyes. “Wrong”

“Are you saying my unborn child is wrong?”

“No, just the before bit” 

Faith huffed a quiet laugh. “Don’t know why I married him, twice. Maybe I’m not as strong willed as Ci or maybe its because I’m a bit older, can see a possible future. Maybe she hasn’t met the person who will change her perspective yet” She shrugged. 

“Are Laurie and Parker the same?”

She nodded. “Pretty much, Laurie more so. Parker I can see accepting someone eventually, she’s softer, more open”

“Maybe out here…”

“They certainly have a better chance” Faith smiled at him again. “Thank you, for accepting us here. And for at least attempting to understand us. You’re rare in our world, someone who is prepared to listen. Your friends too”

“Well, just remember that when I need my arse saving”

“I’m sure Ci would take great pleasure in saving your arse”

“I’d never hear the end of it” He ran a hand through his hair and placed his mug back down. “Come on Mrs McKay, lets get you back before your husband realises you aren’t in bed”

“I am so bored of that bed, unless he’s in it”

“Wrong”

 

Two months later.

John kept up his pace as doors stained from centuries of being immersed in sea water slid open effortlessly in front of him at his silent command. He’d brought her here only two weeks earlier; on downtime after a rather brutal attack off world the recovering Slayers had been getting edgy and he’d thought it may entertain for long enough to save his city from a bored Cecilia Black. 

She’d seemed to be genuinely interested in the deserted part of Atlantis and they had explored the corridors in a comfortable silence. Since that night on the balcony Miss Black had eased off on the bitchiness, and her teams unrelenting schedule. They had been integrating better, even joining other teams when the mission was red-flagged. There had been movie nights and poker nights, evenings where he and his team had been invited to join them at the McKay’s residence where the Lanterns seemed to be brought deeper into the fold. 

Stories were told and whisky was drunk, and he’d had the pleasure of watching Cecilia Black when she wasn’t being a Slayer, laughing with her friends, her family, easily displaying the love she had for a team that had become so much more. In that way at least, he had believed, they were the same and it was something that could help build a connection. Both of their blood relatives had faded into the past but they had forged something new with what they had been given. 

But now his hazy vision of a possible future was slowly crumbling, had been ever since Mrs McKay had gone into labour and nobody could find Ci. This was her family, and family was everything to her and now the moment they had thought she had been waiting for was happening and she was nowhere to be found. He tried to shake off the sick feeling that came and went ever since their ‘chat’ and started to take the stairs two at a time. 

Twenty minutes into the search for her an image had popped into his head of her standing at the glass of a distant Observation Tower, a thoughtful look on her face, and he’d left his designated sector, perhaps selfishly without notifying the others. As he rounded the last bend John came to a stop at the single door that led out onto a large empty floorspace, covered by a single piece of domed glass that offered any occupier an unrivalled view of the city, ocean and sky. He eyed it, knowing his own indecision was the only thing that was preventing the door from sliding open. 

He squared his shoulders, inhaled and exhaled deeply once then sent the command for Atlantis to grant him access. As the room opened up before him John stepped through, his eyes immediately falling upon the only other thing to see.

“I thought you might guess right” She turned to watch him move slowly towards her. 

“Why are you here?”

“The view is pretty”

John stopped roughly six feet away, the old feelings of doubt that had haunted him during those first weeks after the Slayer’s arrival returning, unwelcome. “I know you heard the radio call about Faith”

A brow raised. “Faith?”

He huffed a quiet laugh. “You can’t play me”

“Pretty sure I can” A small smile threatened at her lips before she turned to look out over the part of the city that was lit, a beacon amongst the dark waves. 

“Ci…”

“Please leave”

John picked his lips. “No” He took another few steps before stopping again. “Faith is having a baby, THE baby, this is what you fought for Ci…”

“And now my fight is done John”

He fought the shiver that threatened his whole body. “What the hell does that mean?!” He moved closer. “Ci?” He whispered. “What did you do?”

She continued to look out into the night. “She had to survive, to be born…” Her words echoed eerily as the air seemed to perceptively change around them, causing every hair upon his arms to raise like hackles on a scared dog.

“What did you do?!” John yelled, his whole body was trembling now, shaky legs trying to cover the seemingly growing distance between them. As she whirled his hands shot out, grabbing her wrists. “What did you do?!” All of his unspoken fears, his ridiculous imaginings came crashing to the fore as he gripped her tighter. “Tell me!” He held on tight, heart pounding, as she raised her gaze from his grasp on her skin. Eyes that looked like his beloved sky met his, he licked his dry lips. “Please Ci, what is happening?”

The Slayer stared up at him. “Faith could be saved but not the child…and someone owed me a favour”

He blinked, thrown for a moment. “What…?”

“Miss Black…” The voice was old, like it had echoes of a hundred different voices behind it. John released his grip and spun slowly to find a tall, cloaked figure standing in the centre of the room. He unclipped his sidearm. “I am afraid that the bullets won’t work Colonel Sheppard”

John frowned. “I…know you?”

“No, but I have been watching Miss Black. You have also been very interesting”

“Um…”

There was a quiet snort behind him before Ci moved into his eye line. “Please, may I have one more minute?”

The figure dipped his head. “There are four minutes and twenty one seconds before the deal must be completed”

“What the fuck is going on?” John turned to her. “What deal?”

There was a deep breath before she spoke. “I had to choose, after the attack back on Earth. They told me that both Faith and the child could not survive, it had to be one or the other”

“I’m sorry” He murmured, then John frowned, a sudden realisation dawning. “Hang on…”

“Let me finish” Eyes were rolled at him. “I chose Faith, with the knowledge that the Mr S here owed me a favour” She gestured lazily towards the observing figure. “Even the healers didn’t know, although I think some were suspicious once they realised that the unborn child was also thriving”

“A deal?” He echoed.

Cecilia nodded. “To bring another life back is possible but the consequences are so shitty most never attempt it, but Mr S here understands how it works. As long as the totals balance at the end of the day its all good”

He stared off over her head, swallowing deeply. “You’re…the balance?”

“Yes” Warm hands wrapped around his as he continued to refuse to meet her eyes. “It was my choice John, I’ve never…I’m not a good person. Even before the whole Slayer deal I just brought misery and destruction. And maybe…maybe with Faith and Laurie, Parker…I kinda became something a bit better but…I killed those people John…”

He dropped his eyes to look deep into hers. “No choice…”

“Yes” Her hands squeezed tight for a moment. “Yes, there was the choice. I could have beaten the shit out of them, thrown them out, left them to crawl back to the Council but I didn’t…a Slayer must not take human life, it crosses a line. You become the monster that you hunt” She sighed quietly, hands still holding on tight. “This way the Slayer line continues, my friend gets to live and to keep her baby, and I get to take the cowards way out and not have to live with what I have done…”

“Ci…”

“Keep them safe, shit is going down back home, Faith is the only hope of stopping that shit, her baby is the only hope of heroes still protecting the world in years to come” A kiss was pressed to his knuckles and John flinched at the contact, he wasn’t sure why. “I have left details of trusted contacts in my quarters, all the info I had up until we left Earth. My team know the rest”

He brought their hands up, pulling her in closer, still keeping a tight hold. “You’re a selfish bitch”

She huffed a quiet laugh. “Yes” 

“Miss Black…” That voice cut through them like Cecilia’s sword through Wraith. “It is time”

John watched her as she nodded, their hands still intwined, still not really believing. She looked up at him. “I have to go, or the deal will be broken, the child won’t survive…”

He dipped his head. “This sucks”

“I think I got the better deal”

“Coward” He whispered. 

Soft lips pressed against his and he held on tight, fingers releasing hers so his arms could wrap around her warmth, trying to burn into his memory everything that had only been a fantasy up until ten seconds ago, the muscle hidden beneath soft, pliable skin, the warm tongue dancing over his. And then he was embracing thin air and his pursed lips were pushing against the nothingness and he staggered forward slightly before opening his eyes and staring blankly into the emptiness surrounding him.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope this makes sense! Trying to write two fics at the same time is not a good plan! Thank you to all who keep coming back depsite my sporadic posting xx

Six months later. Earth

Giles gathered himself, made his way up the slope being sure to make a little noise as he did so. It was not wise lately to try to sneak up on the woman stood a few feet from him, or to give her any kind of idea you were attempting to. He tried to plaster a relaxed expression on his face, steady his breathing. 

“What is it Giles?”

He fought the urge to shiver at the coldness in her tone. “Dinner was three hours ago Buffy, won’t you come in?” She turned and studied him, those soft green eyes now almost golden, all traces of his old friend almost wiped away. He swallowed. “Why are you hear again?” They were stood at the top of the steep slope that ran up from the back of the house, the faint outline of the grave stones showed against the dusk-tinted sky.

“Something is wrong”

“I know” 

The Queen Slayer smiled, it didn’t make him feel any happier with this conversation. “We are referring to different things Mr Giles, and you know that” She looked back out over the horizon. “They won’t leave me”

“They were good friends Buffy, those who we lose are always with us”

“They weren’t friends”

“They were once” He took a step back as she whirled on him. “Buffy..”

“No, they pretended, they lied. They left me…” There was a quiet growl.

“It became complicated, that is all” Giles held both his hands up. “They always cared for you..”

“Liar” She hissed. “I want their graves opened, tomorrow..”

“Buffy!” He gaped at her.

“Somethings wrong” Her eyes flashed before she spun and strode back towards the house.

Giles looked towards where she had gestured, closing his eyes against the tears and the distant view of so many of their fallen friends. If Faith and her team were not in those graves then they soon would be. Nothing could stop her now, not even he, Willow and Dawn combined.

 

Two Days Later

She wandered the corridors in search of him, when she had first come here Cecilia Black had thought of it as an anti-Atlantis. It had the scope and beauty of the great city, but there was so much grey, not enough sunlight, devoid of colour. It was never too hot, never too cold, the satisfactory temperature was enough to drive anyone completely insane. There also was, as she had discovered after her extensive recon, no way out, all doors led to another room, another corridor... if the ambient atmosphere didn't push you over the edge the never-ending circumventing would.

She sighed as she pushed open another door and found another empty room with the exception of a block of grey marble placed right at it's centre. Rolling her eyes Cecilia made her way over to it and went up on tiptoes, raising her enough to be able to look upon a thin golden band that looked as though it fitted a wrist, or a very slender neck. She eyed it for a moment before dropping back down and turning away, even she would not risk his wrath by touching.

Moving through the room Cecilia exited through the door at the other end and found herself in yet another corridor. "Fuck's sake" She muttered. The young woman knew that he was here, she could sense when he left this place and when he returned, pinpointing his location, however, was another matter entirely.

She had chosen to stay here, in the penultimate place, because she was a coward. She had admitted that to John, and she had accepted that here, a thousand times over. This place was the final stop before you met judgement and Cecilia Black knew what judgement lay beyond the grey walls. She was a Slayer, but she was also a killer and those lives had to be answered for in the afterlife. She could see no fluffy clouds and wings anytime soon in her rather bleak, if deserved, future. And, as a final gift, he had allowed her to stay. Sometimes she was called upon to perform menial tasks but for the most part Cecilia walked the corridors, explored the rooms and rustled the pages of books that should have long ago crumbled... she was a ghost, haunting an empty castle, clinging on to the world she had left behind, too afraid to step into the next.

But when he had left this time, only a short while later, Cecilia had been brought to her knees, fighting the terrifying urge to vomit and pass out all at the same time. It had taken the young woman back, back to that night when she had rounded the corner of the street where their hideout sat and the pain of her friend, her mentor, had hit her full force and she'd started running. Back to the Hive ship when she had been incapacitated by Faith's fear and distress. Pushing open another door she stopped as he came into the view. The hooded head dipped slightly and that voice, the one that made your skin try to leave your own body in a bid for survival, bounced off the grey stone. "Miss Black, is there something I can do for you?"

 

Edward Jenkins shut the door behind him and slid the padlock through the two rusted metal loops before clicking it shut, the locking up of the small shack had always seemed to him to be a token gesture as any gust of wind more than a mere gentle breeze would surely bring the whole thing down. But it was part of the routine, and the ex-Watcher found a great deal of comfort in his new life’s daily regime, predictable, unchanging, a world away from monsters and apocalypses… and Slayers.

He shivered slightly and eyed the setting sun. Picking up his pace as he made his way back across the sand, now reflecting a deep gold, he sent a silent plea for it to wait until he stepped through the staff entrance’s modest door before dragging the last of it’s rays down with it below the horizon. The dark still held terror for Edward, as a Watcher he had known of the existence of monsters, and much worse, ever since he had joined the Council at eighteen but it had been a manageable fear back then, balanced out by living and working in a demon proof fortress, surrounded by champions armed with an interesting array of weaponry. 

But now he was alone and the sole survivor, and witness, of a massacre carried out by one of those champions. He didn’t know where she was now, or if she were still alive even, and he did not care enough to risk his own life finding out, but what he did know was that she wasn’t looking for him because she sure as hell would have found him by now and, quite frankly, Edward was happy to be grateful for that alone. However, even without the threat of a vengeful Slayer, he still slept with his light blazing, his small accommodation littered with amulets and marked with dozens of symbols to ward off every evil he could think of. And that was the downside to having an insight into that world, there were too many things to be scared of.

There was, of course, also the small matter of desertion. He had no idea what had gone on in that house after he’d run from it’s door but surely the Council had eventually sent another team when they were late for their check in, and if they had bothered with a recount Edward’s body would have been noticeably awol. It then wouldn’t have taken them long to reach the conclusion that he had joined with the rogue Slayers or, even worse, that he had left his post and the rest of his team to their fates, and both of those things would be looked upon as highly unfavourable. And the Council were in no way running low on expert trackers, he just had to hope that there had been enough chaos following their discovery, and the failure of their plan, for him to have become forgotten.

Trying to shake off the sudden feeling of dread and muttering a “Thank you” under his breath the ex-Watcher slipped through the door at the back of the hotel, feeling himself relax a little more as he punched in the security code and heard the locks slide home. A plus of working in a 5-star establishment was that even the lowest level of staff, and he most certainly was, were protected by a security system that was designed to keep the high profile guests safe, which meant even the smallest, most inconspicuous doors and windows had the same locking mechanisms as the large glass ones that opened up onto the marbled front entrance. And Edward had been surreptitiously placing very small wards around the doors and windows he passed on his daily routine just to beef it up a little more, because there were things out there that could get through a six inch thick door if they really wanted what was on the other side.

“Evening Matthew” Edward jumped and whirled, coming face to face with the evening duty Commis. The man smiled. “You need to relax mate, been here a while now and none of us have tried to kill you… yet”

“What?!” He winced at the squeak in his voice, stepped back a little further.

“Hey, hey” Dan raised his hands in surrender. “Only joking mate, I’m sorry ok? Little too soon for the death threat gags huh?”

Edward willed his heart to slow, wiped the sweat from his upper lip. “I… I’m sorry. I was just, thinking” He’d joined the staff under a fake name, but what they didn’t show in the movies was how hard it was to remember you were now Matthew when people called out to you. To explain away his jumpiness, and apparent forgetfulness of his own bloody name he’d slowly let it be known he was suffering from PTSD, caused by being attacked one night whilst out with friends. It had also come in handy when they’d wanted to move him onto the night shift a few weeks ago, just the mention of him walking the beachfront in the dark had caused him to hyperventilate. 

The other man nodded. “Don’t be, my fault” A plate was produced. “Here, know you prefer to eat alone”

Edward eyed the other man before reaching out tentatively for the wonderfully smelling offering. “Um, thank you”

Dan nodded. “Not a problem. Just do me a favour yeah?”

He swallowed. “Um, what?”

“Try eating with the others, just once” Kind blue eyes smiled down at him. “Being alone ain’t helping you know, all this time and you’re still on edge, paranoid even” He nodded at the plate. “Enjoy”

Edward looked down at his dinner. “Um, ok, yes… thank you” As he looked up the chef was already walking away from him, and he eyed his retreating back suspiciously before scowling at it. “Not paranoid” He mumbled. Taking a closer sniff of the food he frowned before continuing down the corridor, maybe just a little revealing spell, check for poison. 

 

Cici stood, arms folded across her chest, as she faced down the silent darkness beneath the hood. The cloak rippled slightly at it’s hem, the air thickening slightly as he spoke. “A… feeling?”

She frowned at him, or at where she thought his face was. “Yes, and don’t bullshit me Mr S, nothing like that has happened since I arrived here… “ She paused, her frown deepening. “In fact, if anything, I have… felt less?” Suddenly lost in this realisation she stood for a minute, her purpose in seeking him out temporarily forgotten. Her eyes dropped to the floor, searching it for a clue as to when her heart, or instincts, had last stirred. “Shit” She whispered.

“Here, there are no… feelings” The young woman’s gaze raised back up to study him as he spoke. “You feel real but here you are non-corporeal, you exist and yet you don’t. Your soul remembers, for a short while, the physical side-effects of sadness, joy, anger and replicates them in your non-corporeal form but eventually that memory fades also. After your time here, what you describe to me should be impossible”

Cici swallowed, it seemed her ‘non-corporeal form’ still remembered quite well that creeping feeling of dread. “So, I will end up… like you?”

There was a bone-chilling rasping sound which she presumed was him laughing and the hood moved as if it’s occupier was nodding. “Yes, to exist here, to perform my duties there must be no… feeling”

“You don’t like that word?”

“I have no use for it”

“I see” The Slayer tipped her head to the side. “Yet you made a deal with me, you allow me to stay here, as a gift… a favour?”

The hood dipped slightly. “This is true”

Cici smiled. “Is that not ‘feeling’?” She was met with silence. “Well?” 

A sight that sent a blast of cold air ricocheting around the room emanated from the cloak, and raised the hairs on her arms. “You will persist in this?”

“You have met me right?”

“Perhaps not my best decision” He moved towards the great wooden chair, in a dismal grey to match the rest of the decor, the staff he held sending echoes outwards to bounce off the walls as it struck stone with each step. Once seated he placed it on the floor in front of him before sitting back, the tips of grey fingernails showing as his rested his hands upon the intricately carved arms. “It appears that even here your connection to Mrs McKay has not subsided”

She stepped towards him, her stomach tightening, the shake in her hands from her earlier attack returning. “Faith’s in trouble? Shit, you have to let me go!” An arm raised in a gesture seemingly meant to silence her. “No, no riddles Mr S, I mean it!”

“No riddles” The intoned words took her breath away and the Slayer, begrudgingly, snapped her mouth shut. “For now your friend is safe, and is the child. But she has learnt today of your Queen’s doubts over your deaths, and of her efforts to discover the truth”

Cici closed her eyes, shivered a little even in the comfortable temperature of her self-induced prison. “Shit, shit… “ She muttered.

“So far, she has been unsuccessful, but… the balance sways in the Queen Slayers favour”

The Slayer snapped her eyes open. “Send me back”

“I cannot” 

“You almost sounded sorry” Cici glared at him before turning to pace the room. “Crap, crap, crap” She stopped, pointed at him. “Don’t I get like a chance to beat you at a challenge or something?”

She could feel the eye roll, despite not being able to see his face. “That is Death, and the ‘games’ are frowned upon. He is not what he once was”

“Because he ‘feels’?” She sneered.

“That is not what we were created for, what we exist to achieve” Grey fingers were revealed as they steepled together, with his elbows resting on the wooden arms, the robe’s sleeves falling a little away from his hands. “You are here and I admit that perhaps it is because I have taken more of an interest in the Slayers, in you, than I should have done. But your existence here changes nothing in either of the worlds beyond my walls. It is beyond my power to return you to where you came, there is no escape from this place… “ A hand separated from it’s entwined and gestured to the floor-to-ceiling door that stood at the end of the chamber. “… except to move forwards”

Cici clenched her jaw. “Then I shall be even further away from my friends”

“Perhaps”

“Perhaps?”

“There is no escape from here”

“Stop saying that!” She curled her fists. “Send me back, asshole!”

“No” A finger pointed to the door, the only thing in this place that struck fear into the Slayer’s heart. “There is no escape from here Cecilia Black. Move forwards”

She swallowed, squeezed her eyes tight shut and clenched her fists tighter until blood ran from the half-moon cuts made by her nails. “I’m scared”

“You have died Miss Black, and whilst your sacrifice was noble your life was not always as such. Move forwards, face your judgement. I am told it brings freedom”

The young woman cracked open an eye. “Freedom from what?”

“That, I have not been told” He stood, hand reaching out as he walked towards her. A glint of light danced over his fingers before raising up and stretching out, spinning so fast it made Cecilia’s eyes water until at last it slowed, and there, hovering above his touch was the golden band she had seen earlier. “The rules have been broken, I have imparted knowledge unto you of what happens back in your world. I have knowledge of a connection between you and your world. Your existence here will not be tolerated for much longer. It is best they find you moved on”

“They?” Cici blinked, eyes captivated by the sleek metal, voice suddenly distant, vague. 

“My final gift to you” The cool metal wound it’s way around her neck and she moved clumsy fingers up to her throat to stroke over it. “It was forged here, when this place did not take feelings” 

She frowned up at him, everything was getting a little… foggy. “Um, I’m, um… “ She shook her head. “Feeling a little… lost here”

“Because you are transitioning” He gestured behind her and she turned, dragging her fuzzy brain towards the realisation that she now had one foot over the threshold of the large doors. 

“A… trick… bas… ard”

“No, a necessity” Mr S stepped back as Cici felt herself begin to fall, she watched his hands disappearing once more into the dark recess of his cloak as the figure of him became smaller and smaller. “There is no escape from here”

 

John took a sip of his coffee, hands now steady enough to not slop the steaming liquid over the sides of the mug, and watched her move from all fours to her behind in an impressively smooth movement for a six month old. 

An hour ago he had removed himself, and Hope McKay, to the sanctuary of his office from the briefing room as voices had begun to raise and an uncomfortable spousal argument had gone from clenched jaws to all out shouting.

Toeing the pile of toys towards her latest position he took another gulp, scraped a hand through his hair. It had been foolish of him to even let the thought of a moments breather enter his head. Since Ci’s death Atlantis had not let up on its battered residents. 

It had begun with the still mourning Slayers having to step up in the face of a surprise Wraith attack, followed shortly by two quarantine shutdowns, in which one saw the loss of an expedition member. Then the ragtag survivors of the Genii had managed to get a hold of him and Rodney, their subsequent rescue by an enraged Mrs McKay ending with the couple not speaking for a whole two weeks afterwards.

However, tentatively, John had allowed himself to start breathing a little easier. Except for the few ‘routine’ missions not going so routinely it had been very quiet on the crisis front. Laughter had started to sound at the mess tables again, smiles would actually crease the sides of the Slayer’s eyes and his friends had called in babysitting favours for weekly date nights.

And then today had come.

 

Twelve Hours Earlier 

Jack stood and stared at the people in front of him, BBQ sauce bottle still gripped in one hand, with the strange sense of deja vu. Frowning he tried to remember the last time a bright green light had engulfed him accompanied by a feeling of moving very fast without actually moving at all. The memory of his first trip through the gate popped up suddenly and gave a shy wave. He shook his head slightly, no that definitely wasn't it. Looking down at the sauce bottle something crept along his nerves, filling him with a weird sense of dread.

“General O’Neill?”

The utterance of his name shook him from the rather worrying thoughts and Jack looked up to meet the gaze of the one who had presumably spoken, unless one of his female companions was a closet bass. “Um yes?” He licked his lips. “Pretty sure”

The other man cleared his throat, removed his glasses to clean them on a raggedy piece of tweed. “Yes, we're um sorry about that. This method of transportation causes the, uh, transportee to move through several other dimensions and realities before arriving at their destination. It can be a little… disorienting”

“No shit” Muttered Jack, placing the bottle gingerly on the floor before taking a discreet step away from it. “So, do I get to know what the hell is going on?” He raised a brow at his kidnappers.

The glasses were pushed back in place. “Of course, I'm, um, sorry. We are still a little… “ Another throat clearing. “Well, I'll get to that” He placed a hand on his own chest. “I am Rupert Giles, we spoke on the phone some months ago… “

“Could we not have done that again Mr Giles?” Jack folded his arms across his chest, trying to subtly go to the balls of his feet whilst thinking longingly of his sidearm locked away safely back home. Unfortunately, judging from the limited view behind them, it seemed that even if he could take them all down there was nowhere to run. Beyond the circle of hewed rock a glimpse of desert soon disappeared into the night. No blinking lights, no orange glow of a nearby town or city.

“Um, I'm afraid not General. And our meeting also had to remain as clandestine as possible, it was not a case of simply knocking on your door. I mean… “

Jack raised a brow. “Mr Giles?”

“Um, yes?”

“Please reach a point”

He was glared at from behind the lenses. “Very well. The young woman we spoke about on the phone?”

Jack nodded, trying to project confused annoyance through his facial expression rather than the slow building panic he could feel deep inside. 

“Yesterday morning her grave was opened at the demand of our leader…”

The General raised a brow, attempting to subtly swallow down the suddenly excessive saliva forming in his mouth. “I really don't understand…”

A hand was raised up to silence him. “Please General, I must… this is very hard for us”

Jack looked over his companions, they wore exhaustion across their faces, and one, on closer inspection, had the slightly puffed appearance of recent tears. He nodded, waved a hand. 

“Thank you” There was a quiet sigh. “It was not something I agreed with, our people they… they die in ways that, well let's just say I don't believe in disturbing their rest” One of the women gave a quiet sniff and he squeezed her shoulder. “When what was expected to be discovered wasn't they went on to exhume her entire team”

“Jesus” Hissed Jack. He flinched at his own words. “Crap, I'm um, sorry”

“Please don't be” Mr Giles shot him a sad smile. “We were just as horrified, believe me” He seemed to shiver a little, pulled his jacket around himself tin a gesture that suddenly made him seem very lost, very afraid. “Unfortunately the last grave revealed something that has thrown our organisation into chaos”

Jack mentally cursed, on the outside he merely raised another brow. “And that was?”

Mr Giles fixed him with a suddenly very focused stare, Jack's entire body goosebumped. “She wasn't there”

Jack blinked. “Um, what?”

“She wasn't there” The young woman to the other man’s right stepped forward, in the firelight her red hair flamed, a streak of black hanging by her left eye marring its beauty. “No remains, no body, nothing”

The General folded his arms across his chest. “And whilst this is a very fascinating tale I still don't understand how it led to me being forcibly removed from my home”

She tilted her head, smiled. It didn't make him feel any better about the conversation. “If you in any way hid, or lied about, yours or your work colleague’s contact with Miss Lehane during the last few weeks of her life you could be in danger”

Jack narrowed his gaze. “Are you threatening me?”

The woman shook her head. “It is a warning” She sighed, ran a hand through shimmering rose gold before letting it waterfall around her face once more. “Giles, this would be easier if we could just tell him…”

“No!” They all jumped a little at his exclamation and the man visibly winced. “Sorry… sorry… I, we can't, not yet. It could expose him even more” He shrugged at Jack. “I'm sorry, you're going to just have to trust us on this. We needed to warn you but we can't, not everything”

Jack nodded, used the brief moment of silence to go over his options. Closing his eyes for a few seconds in a silent prayer he then opened them, took another step forward. “I know about the Slayers” They all stood for a few seconds, the words hanging between them as if the three people’s ears who had heard them weren’t quite willing to accept them and Jack’s brain wasn’t quite ready to admit that his mouth had spoken them. He held a hand up as Mr Giles went to speak. “Not everything, I have no doubt. I questioned him after our little phone call, concerned about our sudden connection to another highly paranoid op, my colleague’s knowledge of his ex-girlfirends life, and work, was very sketchy. Miss Lehane most certainly was wary of imparting too much information”

“Any information was too much, especially now… “

The General nodded again. “I understand, our organisation relies on our personnel’s loyalty and secrecy also, I was a little pissed to find out he had also ‘imparted knowledge’. However, information was shared. Mostly because of how they met, Miss Lehane first ran across him whilst he was being attacked by two, um, vampires”

“Oh” Mr Giles blinked. “Well, then… “ He frowned. “She has saved many others, he was… different?”

Jack shrugged. “I try not to pry, but I believe that what they had, while brief, was very… unique”

There was a quiet snort. “It always is when Slayers fall in love”

The other man gaped at the redhead. “Love?”

“There would have been no other reason for Faith to attempt to explain her lifestyle, the absences, the bruises… he must have played a big part in her life even if it wasn’t for a very long time”

Jack nodded at her. “They lived together for a brief period I believe, the relationship ended when he was offered the posting with us. She urged him to go, saying that what she did would mean they would never be able to have a ‘normal’ relationship… whatever the hell that is”

“Right with you” The redhead smiled. “I’m Willow, I knew Faith from the beginning”

He raised a brow. “The beginning of what?”

She huffed a quiet laugh. “The beginning of… something different” 

The General rolled his eyes. “Right, well that helps, thank you”

Mr Giles waved a hand. “That doesn’t matter, not yet. What did she tell him?”

“I don’t know”

“What?!”

Jack sighed. “I don’t know, all I can tell you is what he told me, and his promise that was all he knew. He is a good man, but whether his loyalty lies with her memory or with me, I can never be sure”

“Faith chose him, he’d be loyal to her” The brunette spoke for the first time, pulling her jacket tighter around herself. She sniffed. “I miss her, if she was here…”

“We would not be Dawnie, I know” Willow smiled gently at the other woman. “But if she had survived, we may have ended up somewhere worse, a lot sooner than today. She was getting suspicious, you know that”

“I…”

“Um” Jack raised a hand. “Can I know what she was getting suspicious about” 

Mr Giles shook his head. “Not yet, I’m sorry. We need to know how much you know first”

“Giles… “

“No Dawn, we must be careful”

“It’s ok” Jack smiled at ‘Dawnie’. “I understand” He took breath. “Slayers are always young women, called to their duty between the ages of fifteen and sixteen, when they are given ‘powers’. They become strong and fast with heightened senses and accelerated healing. The receiving of these powers sees them unceremoniously shoved into a world of darkness, loneliness and monsters by a group of people who wouldn’t know which end of a sword was the pointy one if their lives depended on it. This ultimately, and usually only a short while later, leads to their ugly death” He tilted his head. “How am I doing so far?”

“Not all of us… “ Mr Giles removed his glasses and began to polish them ferociously again. “Some of us fought for them too…”

“Well, he must have skipped that part” Jack scowled at him. “Usually when one Slayer dies another is called up but Miss Lehane was an anomaly, when she got her powers there was still another Slayer alive, which had never happened before” He paused, licked his lips, silently deliberating on how far to go. “And then something changed again? A big battle? And there were more Slayers, hundreds of them” He raised a brow. “Am I still right?”

There was another brief pause then the one named Willow nodded. “Yes” She sighed. “It seems so long ago now” Her eyes raised to meet his. “To have more Slayers, to no longer be alone… it was something that we thought would fix everything”

Jack raised a brow. “But it didn’t?”

“Willow…”

“Its ok Giles” She waved off the other man. “At first, it was good. It took a lot of work, don’t get me wrong, but we formed teams, built bases, we finally had the bad guys on the run and then… at first we thought it was just the stress, you know? As wonderful as it was having hundreds of girls with superpowers it was tough too. Many were still just fifteen/sixteen, there were a lot of arguments, a lot of egos…” She sighed again. “By the time we realised something was terribly wrong it was too late”

Jack frowned. “I’m sorry, you’ve lost me. Wrong with what?”

“Who”

“What?”

“No” Dawn smiled sadly at him. “Who. Our leader, the Queen Slayer, my sister”

He shivered slightly in the warm night air, not being able to pinpoint why. “She’s… sick?”

“In a way” Mr Giles stepped forward. “Unknown to us, when the ritual was performed that activated more Slayers something used the magical conduit to enter our world, specifically the most powerful Slayer that has ever lived”

Jack fought the urge to shiver again. “And I feel like that is not good news”

“It most certainly isn’t General. Buffy was pretty much unstoppable before but now, with magic coursing through her veins, the being that has control of her knows that it is almost invincible”

The General nodded. “So, the good news I’m hearing is that she is ALMOST invincible, the bad news is that the top Slayer is no longer in control of her own actions” They nodded silently. “So again I ask, why am I here?” 

“We had hoped…” Mr Giles took his glasses off once more to unnecessarily clean them. “Faith and her team had been in exile at the time of their deaths. They operated relatively independently, Buffy always used to trusted Faith implicitly and she was free to roam, with no fixed base, to track, to hunt. They were every effective, very skilled. But their time away from the Council perhaps made the changes more noticeable to them, they were beginning to ask questions, voice their suspicions” He shook his head. “If only we had listened”

“But you didn’t?”

“No” Another shake of the head. “And for that I will always be haunted”

Willow touched his arm. “We all will be”

Mr Giles nodded. “What I am about to tell you General, you must think long and hard before sharing with your friend”

“Well, I wouldn’t really say friend… “

“Please…” The other man shot him a look, Jack raised his hands in silent submission. “The timing is seemingly wrong but there was never a clue of another and we have looked, even harder in the past few weeks… Faith was pregnant at the time of her death”

He tried to school his features into shock but couldn’t bring himself to say anything. 

“This forced their utter exile, they knew far better than us and hid themselves away. Faith’s team effectively disappeared from the face of the Earth. They understood that the pregnancy would make Faith a target, a target of something that did not want the Slayer line to progress into a blood one. And I don’t think they ever really knew what was happening, or why Buffy was the way she was but deep down, on an instinctual level, a level we mere mortals could never hope to, or wish to, understand every fibre of their being screamed at them to hide their friend away. To save the child”

Jack swallowed, skin pricking on his arms. “Do you know why?”

This time Willow nodded. “We think so. A child born to a Slayer carries a blood prophecy. Unlike the girls who the power seeks out these children will carry a birthright to the Slayer line, it will make them stronger than any who have come before, even Buffy”

The General puffed out a breath. “She cut the line”

Mr Giles’s brows raised. “Yes, yes. I didn’t think… “

“Didn’t become General for nothing”

Dawn huffed a quiet laugh. “The ironic thing?” Jack raised a brow. “The thing that pushed us to activate more Slayers, it was doing the exact same thing. Killing off potentials, cutting the line… Buffy put her life, and ours, on the line to stop it” Her hands wrung, fingers turning white under the pressure. “I know she’s in there somewhere, I know she hates it, she hates that she has to watch it but can’t stop it. My sister, she’s never been powerless, never… she’s saved us, now we need to save her”

Jack shook his head, “I can’t help you with this, I’m sorry”

“I know” The jacket was pulled even tighter. 

He sighed. “What do you want me to do? Why am I here?”

“You need to warn your friend, work colleague, whatever… ever since we found that empty grave Buffy has been on the hunt for anyone who had a connection with Faith and her team. For the moment she is distracted with more recent contacts but soon… she will come for him”

“Jesus” Murmured Jack.

Mr Giles nodded in agreement. “She has always been suspicious of Faith’s death but now she has something concrete, something she can sell to the other girls as potential treachery. There will be an entire army of Slayers out tracking, hunting. Faith’s grave may have been full but her proteges’s, her best friend’s, was empty and that is something she won’t ignore. The merest possibility of Faith’s child existing will drive her on until she has wiped every trace from this world”

Jack scraped a hand through his hair. “The base he is stationed on… is very isolated”

“It won’t be enough” Mr Giles gestured to Willow who then stepped up to Jack, hand opening to reveal a leather band, a green stone shimmering gently at its centre. “This will hide him, for now, but it will not be enough if she turns her full attention on him”

The General grasped it between two fingers and let it sway gently in front of his face. “How will I know this won’t be used to track him?”

“It won’t”

“I’m supposed to take your word?”

“We can only hope”

Jack huffed a quiet laugh. “And you?”

“We shall hide”

He raised a brow. “Like Faith?”

“Hopefully better” Mr Giles gave a sad smile. “Our actions over the past twenty-four hours have ended in the same exile that Faith experienced however we still have allies, old friends. Ones who shall hopefully find a way for us to defeat the monster yet keep our dear friend alive. We have always found a way to defeat our enemies, unfortunately that way usually involved Buffy beating the crap out of them”

Jack snorted quietly. “Irony”

“In it’s truest form” Willow quirked a smile. “With the exception that perhaps Faith would have been the only one with a chance in hell of holding off Buffy”

The General smiled back at her.”Only Faith?”

She nodded. “The Dark Slayer, The Queen, two sides of the spinning coin… ultimately only one can land facing up into the light” She raised a hand and Jack squinted against the onslaught of green light.

 

John sat in the darkened room, the light from the living area dimly reflecting her slumbering form. He’d moved to the larger quarters shortly after Cici’s death, his original rooms no longer providing the sanctuary they had in those first years here on the city. Plus once babysitting duties had begun he’d discovered that a nineteen hundred bedtime really didn’t suit him. 

He sighed inwardly, trying not to exhale any actual sound. Despite being reassured that Hope McKay would not reach Slayer maturity until fifteen he still swore that she already had the hearing abilities of one. A pin dropping two rooms away could stir her.

As his God-Daughter slept peacefully John rolled his tight shoulders. Once twenty-one hundred had ticked around and she had been crashed out on the floor of his office for half hour he had shut off his tablet and scooped her up in his arms. Hope’s warring parents would know where to find her if they wanted, but he figured that this argument would go on into the night, and possibly the next forty-eight hours. 

General O’Neill’s visit had unsettled everyone but the young women that Atlantis and its residents had grown to love had been devastated, the news they had feared the most but had almost been expecting had seemingly torn through any happiness they had found since Cici’s death and returned them to what they were when they had first arrived on the city. Distant, cold… business like, Slayer business. And John had watched, broken hearted, as his best friend had been cooly dismissed despite everything.

And now they wanted to return, to help, to defend. And Faith wouldn’t listen to her husbands protests, and Rodney wouldn’t listen to Faith’s plea to keep her daughter, and him, safe. And John couldn’t help being pissed at Ci again for fucking off and leaving them to deal with this shit. “Fuck you” He whispered.

“If those are her first words Rodney will be pissed” He looked around at the hushed words, Evan smiled at him gently before padding into the room and settling in beside him. “She can’t hear you” He whispered.

John glared at him, but kept his voice so low it was almost simply mouthing. “I bet she can. Smug bitch”

The other man sighed. “She played her part John”

“Yes I know, thank you” He glared again. “I was there when she did the whole honourable speech shit”

Evan raised a brow. “John… “

“Don’t Ev, ok?” He propped his elbows on his knees, laced his fingers together. “I just want to fly us away”

“I know” The other man murmured. “She’s not here yet”

“She will be” John shivered slightly, flinching as a warm hand rested on his shoulder.

“It’s a warning only John”

He nodded. “She’ll come here, Ci knew. Thats why… she told me”

The Major tensed suddenly beside him. “Um, ok?”

John turned, the hand being shaken from his shoulder. “She warned me about this Ev, she made me promise, promise that I would keep Hope safe”

Evan shook his head. “John… “

“We have to prepare” He made his whisper as loud as he dared. 

The other man looked at him. “Ok” He licked his lips. “Ok, I know… I know that… “ Evan sighed. “Actually no I don’t, I don’t know because I was on the outside… “

“Ev….”

The Major waved a hand at him. “I was. And thats ok. As much entertainment as I got from you and Ci, I was never in on it. I never got it. She was hot, and funny, and slightly terrifying, but… I never got it. And maybe thats my fault, my jealousy” He matched John’s posture, brow furrowing slightly. “But I get you”

John swallowed.

“And I stand by you. And I stand by Hope, and Faith and even Rodney”

John snorted quietly.

“I know that if Ci was still here we wouldn’t…”

“Evan… “

“Hush now” The Major grinned at him. “We prepare, whatever those two finally hash out we support, but ultimately we keep Hope safe. If that means flying this city out of here, if that means resurrecting Miss Black from wherever the fuck she’s gone, if that means living out our days on some random planet…. we do it. And we do it together, ok?”

John looked at him, pushing down the devastation of the past few months as the warm brown bored into his eyes. He swallowed, nodded. “Ok”

“Ok”


End file.
